School Chooser

Pathways Learning Centre

Pupil referral unit / alternative provision · ages 5-16MixedAcademy alternative provision converter78 pupilsBristolSouth Gloucestershire
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2022
Pupils from low-income families52%Far more than most schools
Places92 spare78 pupils, 170 places
Pupils per teacher5.0School workforce census
Pupils on roll78Census January 2026

Pathways Learning Centre is an academy alternative provision converter in Bristol for boys and girls aged 5 to 16. It has 78 pupils and room for 170. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Overndale Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 2RQ01454 862630pathwayslearningcentre.org.ukMr Daniel Walton headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 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”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

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 South Gloucestershire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll78Census January 2026
Places17046% full
Pupils from low-income families51%52% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%17 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan78%61 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)51%£46,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls53 / 25
White British pupils81%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (59), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), Moderate learning difficulty (3), language and communications needs (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).

Staff and money

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

Teachers29.3full-time equivalent, 41 people
Pupils per teacher5.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers98%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants22.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,205
Vacancies0

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.

Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £71k, £500 per pupil
Money in against money out+£528kit took in more than it spent this year

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 m41912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate59 per 1,000 people35% lower than the England average
Typical house price£340,000South Gloucestershire
Nearest bus stop30 mSheppard Road, 18 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Elmtree Grove School LtdIndependent100 m24Not inspectedCompare
Christ Church, Church of England Junior School, DownendChurch of England380 m301Not inspected74Compare
Little Hayes Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school420 m104Report card 2026Compare
Frome Vale AcademyAcademy660 m203Report card 202667Compare
Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, DownendChurch of England670 m225Good 202366Compare
Staple Hill Primary SchoolAcademy790 m298Report card 202615Compare
Avanti Gardens SchoolFree school930 m381Good 202412Compare
Briarwood SchoolCouncil0.6 miles167No overall grade 2024Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Pathways Learning Centre a good school?

Pathways Learning Centre doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in September 2022.

What is Pathways Learning Centre's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Pathways Learning Centre good at its last full inspection on 13 September 2022.

How many pupils does Pathways Learning Centre have?

78 pupils aged 5 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 170 places, so it is 46% full.

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

Contact and details

Address
Overndale Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 2RQ
Telephone
01454 862630
Website
www.pathwayslearningcentre.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Daniel Walton
Type of school
Academy alternative provision converter (Academy alternative provision converter, academies)
Phase
Pupil referral unit / alternative provision, ages 5-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Enable Trust (4 schools)
Local authority
South Gloucestershire
Ward
Frenchay & Downend
Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2025 (academy converter)
URN
151471 · LAESTAB 8031100 · UKPRN 10096987
Formerly
Pathways Learning Centre

Where these figures come from