School Chooser

Fonthill Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy221 pupilsNurseryBristolBristol, City of
School Chooser Score
12
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 26, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2022
Reached the expected level at 1147%England 63%
Attendance91.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places31 spare221 pupils, 252 places
Pupils per teacher24.2School workforce census

Fonthill Primary Academy is a converter academy in Bristol for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 221 pupils and room for 252. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Ascot Road, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 5SW0117 377 2550fonthill.bristol.sch.ukHeadteacher Stephanie Hughes headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 September 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

30 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1147%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 55%55%20172018: 47%47%20182019: 65%65%20192023: 38%38%20232024: 38%38%20242025: 47%47%2025
Since 2017: -8%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†Bristol, City ofEngland
Pupils tested302929233029
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths47%38%38%65%47%55%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%0%0%4%0%7%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0102.099.0105.0100.0101.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0103.0101.0105.0101.0101.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0102.098.0108.0104.0104.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard63%59%48%83%57%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard60%55%62%78%67%69%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)57%55%48%74%73%62%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.2+1.9-2.2+3.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.8+0.3-1.3+1.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged31%25%29%50%35%44%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged64%54%47%77%70%69%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Fonthill Primary School, the school this one replaced in July 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
31%64%
Gap 33 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
47%47%
No gapEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
56%47%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places195 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
93% full

About 15 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.4 miles away in 2026, 460 m away in 2025, 550 m away in 2023. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.4 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary50301.4 milesLA
2025 Primary460 mLA
2023 Primary2550 mLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 0.8 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 0.8 miles of the school£330,000half sold for £265k to £415k
Homes sold452December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-4%a typical home in the district sells for £345,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll221Census January 2026
Places25288% full
Pupils from low-income families35%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English46%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support27%60 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.08 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)37%£106,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls117 / 104
White British pupils31%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (26), emotional and mental health (18), Moderate learning difficulty (12), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), Specific learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll221226230215220226
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals35%37%42%42%44%42%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language46%41%36%36%34%36%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%17%24%22%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%2%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance91.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils8.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.6%7.3%9.3%8.6%6.2%5.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence6.4%5.2%6.2%6.1%4.6%4.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%2.1%3.1%2.5%1.5%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.4%23.0%27.3%29.3%15.4%16.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate8.99.66.52.38.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10011

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers8.9full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher24.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,550
Teachers who left in the year60%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher17.32024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,938England £7,128. Total £1.8m
Income per pupil£8,633England £7,587. Total £2.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,075England £3,405
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £188k, £832 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£157kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,938spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m30312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate122 per 1,000 people34% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop260 mCharfield Road, 11 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy560 m209Good 202462Compare
Charborough Road Primary SchoolAcademy840 m254Good 202326Compare
Little Mead Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles435Report card 20264Compare
Upper Horfield Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles185Report card 202626Compare
Shield Road Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles181Good 202314Compare
Horfield Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles357Requires improvement 2024Compare
Badocks Wood E-ACT AcademyAcademy0.9 miles213Good 202243Compare
Brentry Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles203Report card 202630Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Fonthill Primary Academy with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats13%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 12 is 36 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 48 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 26. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.19
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.17
2024/25; 182 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Fonthill Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Fonthill Primary Academy scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 26, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Fonthill Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Fonthill Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 28 September 2022.

How good are Fonthill Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 47% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Fonthill Primary Academy have?

221 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 252 places, so it is 88% full.

Is Fonthill Primary Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.4 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Fonthill Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 91.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Fonthill Primary Academy?

The average class had 27.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Ascot Road, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 5SW
Telephone
0117 377 2550
Website
www.fonthill.bristol.sch.uk
Headteacher
Headteacher Stephanie Hughes
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Amplify Education (21 schools)
Local authority
Bristol, City of
Ward
Southmead
Constituency
Bristol North West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2018 (academy converter)
URN
144892 · LAESTAB 8012010 · UKPRN 10065367
Formerly
Fonthill Primary School

Where these figures come from