North Star 240°
Long Cross, Lawrence Weston, Bristol, BS11 0QAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
North Star 240° is a special school in Bristol for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 168 schools in Bristol. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 22 February 2023, report published 4 May 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 22 February 2023
Many pupils face challenges in accessing learning because of their social, emotional and mental health needs. At North Star 240°, consistent routines and high expectations help pupils understand how to manage their anxieties and communication barriers. Staff are proud to work at the school. Their reward is seeing the strides that pupils make every day. The curriculum is well organised, and the lessons are interesting. Consequently, pupils work hard and try their best. An appropriate curriculum for careers guidance ensures that pupils plan relevant next steps. Strong, trusting relationships exist between staff and pupils which means that pupils know that staff listen to and act on any concerns they might have. Breaktimes and lunchtimes are carefully structured so that pupils experience positive social times. A caring, yet ambitious, ethos pervades the school. Whole-school assemblies create the sense of a large family, focused on empathy and a collective endeavour. Pupils feel safe to speak up and talk about how well they are achieving their goals. Staff patiently and kindly help pupils to recognise and own their targets. As a pupil described, 'Here, I can talk to staff. They help me when I struggle; they help me persevere.'
What the school should improve
- The weakest readers do not have the help they need to catch up with reading quickly. As a result, they do not make up lost ground as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that pupils who need to catch up with reading have the specific support they need.
- Assessment in key stage 3 is sometimes not used to adapt the curriculum. When this is the case, learning activities are not well matched to pupils' needs and their work does not improve as it should. Leaders must ensure that assessment is effective so that the curriculum supports pupils to learn and remember more.
- Some pupils do not attend school often enough. Leaders must ensure that pupils who can access school are supported to do so. In addition, they must ensure that pupils who cannot access the school site continue to receive a high-quality education.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
13 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
75 pupils on roll, with places for 80
Schools near North Star 240°
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsweston School | 0.3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 0.9 |
| Grace Garden School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| North Star 82° | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| Elmfield School for Deaf Children | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Claremont School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- NORTH STAR ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Hawkins
- Phone
- 01173772275
- Address
- Long Cross, Lawrence Weston, Bristol, BS11 0QA
- Local authority
- Bristol
- URN
- 148322
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.