School Chooser

Locking Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy386 pupilsNurseryWeston-super-MareNorth Somerset
School Chooser Score
33
Below
similar schools
Likely range 18 to 54, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 32% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, June 2026
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance94.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places44 spare386 pupils, 430 places
Pupils per teacher22.4School workforce census

Locking Primary School is a converter academy in Weston-Super-Mare for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 386 pupils and room for 430. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 33 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 32% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Meadow Drive, Locking, Weston-Super-Mare, BS24 8BB01934 822867lockingprimaryschool.co.ukMrs Roxanne Simpson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 16 June 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
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
Strong
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 (1)
DateTypeOutcome
15 March 2022S5 InspectionGood

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 1157%
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 score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 47%47%20172018: 52%52%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 49%49%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: +10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†North SomersetEngland
Pupils tested305357604445
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%57%49%62%52%47%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%6%0%12%7%2%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0105.0105.0104.0102.0101.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0104.0103.0106.0103.0102.0104.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0104.0103.0105.0103.0103.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard60%68%72%68%66%56%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%75%74%85%61%71%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%68%56%83%73%67%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.0-2.5-3.1-1.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.4-0.9-1.4-0.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged70%50%13%53%18%22%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%58%63%64%64%53%

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 Locking Primary School, the school this one replaced in October 2017. 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 3 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
70%50%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
53%62%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 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.

Plenty of spare places288 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
69% full

132 places were empty (31% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.1 miles away in 2026. 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 1.1 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary601231.1 milesLA
2025 Primary607LA

What a home within 1.1 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.1 miles of the school£305,000half sold for £255k to £373k
Homes sold406December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-3%a typical home in the district sells for £315,000

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 roll386Census January 2026
Places43090% full
Pupils from low-income families18%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support24%93 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan9%36 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.411 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils18%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)20%£100,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls193 / 193
White British pupils93%

Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 7 pupils, for moderate learning difficulties.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in North Somerset with moderate learning difficulties provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (73), language and communications needs (26), Moderate learning difficulty (16), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Other difficulty or disability (4), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll386344281276290322
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%18%20%25%24%19%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%4%1%1%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%12%13%10%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%3%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.3%6.7%6.8%8.1%4.1%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.8%5.3%6.9%3.6%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%2.0%1.4%1.2%0.5%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.1%21.0%20.4%30.0%9.7%6.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.92.13.33.81.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00100

Staff and money

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

Teachers16.3full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher22.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants20.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,326
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.72024/25

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£6,874England £7,128. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£7,277England £7,587. Total £2.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,931England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £156k, £491 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£128kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,874spent 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 m10112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate64 per 1,000 people30% lower than the England average
Typical house price£315,000North Somerset
Nearest bus stop100 mApprentice Way, 9 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
Parklands Educate Together PrimaryFree school240 m424Good 202310Compare
Hutton Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles200Good 202215Compare
Airfield Primary AcademyFree school1.2 milesNot inspectedCompare
Herons' Moor AcademyAcademy1.3 miles447No overall grade 202557Compare
Mead Vale Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles203No overall grade 202460Compare
Haywood Village AcademyAcademy1.7 miles450Not inspected62Compare
Mendip Green Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles617Good 202329Compare
Becket Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles171Requires improvement 20246Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Locking Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats32%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 33 is 23 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 56 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Locking Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Cheddar Grove Primary SchoolAcademy14.2 miles437Good 202354Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 33 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 33% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 18 to 54. 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%in line
-0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.05
Ofsted report card, 0.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.14
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 240 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
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 Locking Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Locking Primary School scores 33 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 32% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 18 to 54, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Locking Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 16 June 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as strong.

How good are Locking Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% 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 Locking Primary School have?

386 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 430 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Locking Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.1 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 Locking Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Locking Primary School?

The average class had 26.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 18% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Locking Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has sen unit for moderate learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Meadow Drive, Locking, Weston-Super-Mare, BS24 8BB
Telephone
01934 822867
Website
www.lockingprimaryschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Roxanne Simpson
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Extend Learning Academies Network (9 schools)
Local authority
North Somerset
Ward
Hutton & Locking
Constituency
Weston-Super-Mare
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2017 (academy converter)
URN
144926 · LAESTAB 8022286 · UKPRN 10065064
Formerly
Locking Primary School

Where these figures come from