School Chooser

St John's Mead Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England338 pupilsNurseryBristolSouth Gloucestershire
School Chooser Score
23
Below
similar schools
Likely range 12 to 42
Out of 100. Better than 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, December 2022
Reached the expected level at 1145%England 63%
Attendance95.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families12%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull338 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher22.1School workforce census

St John's Mead Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Bristol for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 338 pupils, 23 more than it has places for. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 23 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Hounds Road, Chipping Sodbury, 53, Bristol, BS37 6EE01454 866501stjohnsmead.co.ukMr Dean Hudd headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 14 December 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1145%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
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: 59%59%20172018: 56%56%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 61%61%20232024: 55%55%20242025: 45%45%2025
Since 2017: -14%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017South GloucestershireEngland
Pupils tested444044444337
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths45%55%61%55%56%59%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%8%2%7%7%14%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0104.0103.0102.0103.0103.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0103.0105.0104.0102.0104.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0104.0105.0103.0103.0104.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard61%70%66%57%70%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard73%73%80%75%65%76%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)55%70%82%80%79%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.6-0.8-1.8-1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.5+0.9-1.9+0.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged13%43%25%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged53%57%63%62%

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 3 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
13%53%
Gap 40 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
42%50%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full309 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
98% 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.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.5 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 1.5 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 Primary451001.5 milesLA

What a home within 1.5 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.5 miles of the school£312,125half sold for £265k to £390k
Homes sold878December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-8%a typical home in the district sells for £340,000

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 roll338Census January 2026
Places315107% full
Pupils from low-income families11%12% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%36 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.38 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils13%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)12%£57,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls167 / 171
White British pupils89%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (17), language and communications needs (11), emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Physical disability (4), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll338333333342326331
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%9%9%10%10%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%5%7%5%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%12%12%9%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school11.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.82024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.0%5.9%5.7%6.3%3.3%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%4.0%3.6%4.8%2.2%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.9%2.0%1.5%1.1%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.4%15.8%16.1%14.6%6.4%8.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.81.50.90.30.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.9full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher22.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,508
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.62024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,012England £7,738. Total £2.0m
Income per pupil£5,775England £7,697. Total £1.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,895England £3,480
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£20k, -£62 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£77kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,012spent 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 m20912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people39% lower than the England average
Typical house price£340,000South Gloucestershire
Nearest bus stop90 mThe Clock, 15 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
Broadway Infant SchoolAcademy970 m179Good 202361Compare
Raysfield Primary SchoolAcademy980 m453Good 202334Compare
The Ridge Junior SchoolAcademy0.6 miles237Good 202240Compare
St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 milesNot inspectedCompare
St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.9 miles208Good 201945Compare
Woodlands Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles462Good 202426Compare
Tyndale Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles200Good 20238Compare
Abbotswood Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles391Good 201951Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St John's Mead Church of England Primary School 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.

Beats10%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 23 is 32 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 17 · middle 55 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St John's Mead Church of England 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
Blue Coat CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England7.0 miles316Good 202381Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 23 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 23% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 12 to 42. 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
-0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 44 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 44 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 271 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 44 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 St John's Mead Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St John's Mead Church of England Primary School scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 12 to 42, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St John's Mead Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St John's Mead Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 14 December 2022.

How good are St John's Mead Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 45% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St John's Mead Church of England Primary School have?

338 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 107% full.

Is St John's Mead Church of England Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.5 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 St John's Mead Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St John's Mead Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 29.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 13% 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
Hounds Road, Chipping Sodbury, 53, Bristol, BS37 6EE
Telephone
01454 866501
Website
www.stjohnsmead.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Dean Hudd
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester
Local authority
South Gloucestershire
Ward
Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge
Constituency
Thornbury and Yate
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
109229 · LAESTAB 8033127 · UKPRN 10075932

Where these figures come from