School Chooser

Little Mead Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy435 pupilsNurseryBristolBristol, City of
School Chooser Score
4
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 8
Out of 100. Better than 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Reached the expected level at 1139%England 63%
Attendance93.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families30%A bit more than most schools
Parents would recommend78%64 Parent View responses
PlacesFull435 pupils, 420 places

Little Mead Primary Academy is a converter academy in Bristol for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 435 pupils, 15 more than it has places for. About 30 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 4 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Gosforth Road, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 6DS0117 377 3279littlemead.tila.schoolHeadteacher John Calvert co - headteachersAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 27 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
Needs attention
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Needs attention
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (2)
DateTypeOutcome
6 June 2023S5 InspectionRequires improvement
3 March 2022UngradedSchool remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1139%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score100.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 72%72%20172018: 72%72%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 44%44%20232024: 49%49%20242025: 39%39%2025
Since 2017: -33%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Bristol, City ofEngland
Pupils tested565859585860
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths39%49%44%67%72%72%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%0%5%9%19%13%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score100.0104.0102.0104.0105.0105.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.0103.0102.0105.0105.0105.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0105.0104.0107.0106.0108.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard48%78%54%78%79%78%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard54%64%61%81%88%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)63%60%63%78%84%87%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.1+0.0+0.5+0.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.5+0.2+1.3+1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged18%35%30%62%54%59%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged53%57%53%72%88%84%

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.

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. 1 of the 4 gaps is 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
18%53%
Gap 35 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
35%43%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
50%39%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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.

Nearly full400 pupils for 419 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Bristol, City of council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What parents say

Would recommend the school78%England 87%
My child is happy here74%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe78%
Positive overall74%
My child is happy at this school
74%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
78%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
70%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
36% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
48%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
80%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
39% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
52%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
78%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
61%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
72%England 82%
I would recommend this school
78%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
74%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 64 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll435Census January 2026
Places420104% full
Pupils from low-income families31%30% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English46%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%78 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%18 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.914 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils7%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)27%£165,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls221 / 214
White British pupils37%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (31), emotional and mental health (23), Autistic spectrum disorder (20), Specific learning difficulty (19), Physical disability (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll435447454453462458
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals31%28%27%24%25%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language46%45%41%39%33%31%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%12%14%11%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%4%4%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%6.4%8.0%7.7%4.9%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%4.4%5.0%4.8%3.5%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%2.0%3.0%2.9%1.5%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.1%20.2%25.9%28.3%14.6%7.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.46.46.26.13.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.9full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher21.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants16.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,306
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.82024/25

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£6,736England £7,128. Total £2.9m
Income per pupil£7,405England £7,587. Total £3.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,868England £3,405
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £359k, £832 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£289kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,736spent 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 m82912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate122 per 1,000 people34% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop150 mEmbleton Road, 20 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
Badocks Wood E-ACT AcademyAcademy580 m213Good 202243Compare
Brentry Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles203Report card 202630Compare
Fonthill Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles221Good 202212Compare
Westbury-On-Trym Church of England AcademyAcademy0.7 miles414Not inspected71Compare
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles209Good 202462Compare
Blaise Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil0.8 miles441No overall grade 202540Compare
Horfield Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles357Requires improvement 2024Compare
Henbury Court Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles294No overall grade 20245Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Little Mead Primary Academy with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats2%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 4 is 36 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 41 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 4 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 4% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 8. 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
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 56 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.22
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.19
DfE progress measure; 56 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.08
2024/25; 378 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.19
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 56 pupils
What parents say5%below
-0.04
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 64 responses

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 Little Mead Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Little Mead Primary Academy scores 4 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 8, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Little Mead Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 27 January 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as as expected.

How good are Little Mead Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 39% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Little Mead Primary Academy have?

435 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 104% full.

Is Little Mead Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Little Mead Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Little Mead Primary Academy?

78% of the 64 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 74% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Little Mead Primary Academy?

The average class had 27.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 7% of classes 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
Gosforth Road, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 6DS
Telephone
0117 377 3279
Website
littlemead.tila.school
Co - Headteachers
Headteacher John Calvert
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 November 2012 (academy converter)
URN
138900 · LAESTAB 8013432 · UKPRN 10039349
Formerly
Little Mead Primary School

Where these figures come from