School Chooser

St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyMethodist/Church of England61 pupilsMelkshamWiltshire
School Chooser Score
24
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 61, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, November 2022
Reached the expected level at 1186%England 63%
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families12%Far fewer than most schools
Places44 spare61 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher15.6School workforce census

St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School is a converter academy in Melksham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 61 pupils and room for 105. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 24 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

The Street, Broughton Gifford, Melksham, SN12 8PR01225 782223broughtongifford.wilts.sch.ukMrs Emma Hembury headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 November 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

7 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1186%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 67%67%20172018: 89%89%20182019: 78%78%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 54%54%20242025: 86%86%2025
Since 2017: +19%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†WiltshireEngland
Pupils tested7131223912
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths86%54%50%78%89%67%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%8%8%4%11%25%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0103.0102.0106.0106.0108.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0104.0101.0106.0108.0106.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0103.0102.0106.0107.0104.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%54%58%91%89%92%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%69%50%91%89%75%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%77%67%78%89%83%
Reading progressReading progress score-6.0+4.0+0.7+4.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-6.0+2.8+2.7+1.5
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged89%

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 St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in August 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Methodist/Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places69 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
66% full

36 places were empty (34% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 Wiltshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll61Census January 2026
Places10558% full
Pupils from low-income families12%12% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%5 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%4 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)12%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls36 / 25
White British pupils100%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (6), emotional and mental health (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll616979817489
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals12%16%17%15%15%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%9%10%10%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%6%6%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%5.0%3.5%5.4%1.9%2.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%3.5%2.9%4.9%1.5%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.4%0.7%0.5%0.4%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.9%10.0%5.9%11.0%0.0%0.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.01.37.41.40.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.9full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher15.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,709
Teachers who left in the year49%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.02024/25

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£14,899England £7,128. Total £1.0m
Income per pupil£8,536England £7,587. Total £589k
Spent on teachers per pupil£9,319England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £43k, £622 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£439kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£14,899spent 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 m1612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate43 per 1,000 people52% lower than the England average
Typical house price£320,000Wiltshire
Nearest bus stop140 mSt Mary's Church, 6 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
Holt Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England/United Reformed Church1.1 miles146Good 202449Compare
Aloeric Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles360Good 202218Compare
Shaw CE Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles189Good 202245Compare
The Manor CofE VC Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles121No overall grade 202514Compare
River Mead SchoolAcademy1.9 miles261No overall grade 202417Compare
Churchfields, the Village SchoolAcademy2.0 miles121Good 2022Compare
St George's Church of England Primary School, SemingtonAcademy2.0 miles87Good 202291Compare
Staverton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England2.2 miles210No overall grade 202438Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School 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.

Beats33%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 24 is 11 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 35 · highest 89100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled 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
Seend Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.1 miles71Good 202235Compare
Rode Methodist VC First SchoolMethodist7.5 miles75Good 202376Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 24 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 24% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 61. 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
-0.12
2024 and 2023 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.20
DfE progress measure; 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.05
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.09
2024/25; 61 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.07
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 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 Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School scores 24 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 61, 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 Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 22 November 2022.

How good are St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 86% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 14% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School have?

61 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 58% full.

Is St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 36 places were empty in 2024/25 (34% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

Contact and details

Address
The Street, Broughton Gifford, Melksham, SN12 8PR
Telephone
01225 782223
Website
www.broughtongifford.wilts.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Emma Hembury
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Methodist/Church of England
Multi-academy trust
The White Horse Federation (30 schools)
Local authority
Wiltshire
Ward
Melksham Without West & Rural
Constituency
Melksham and Devizes
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 August 2018 (fresh start)
URN
146347 · LAESTAB 8652050 · UKPRN 10068366
Formerly
St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School

Where these figures come from