Upper Horfield Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 January 2026

Pupils enjoy attending this inclusive and welcoming school. Staff build warm, positive relationships with pupils and their families. They work in close partnership to reduce the barriers that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), may face. This supports pupils’ attendance and helps them develop a sense of belonging. Pupils typically achieve well by the end of Year 6, for example in national tests in reading and mathematics. However, too many pupils do not secure the basic knowledge and skills they need. This is because of historic weaknesses in the curriculum and variability in the way staff implement the curriculum. In addition, leaders’ and governors’ actions do not bring about improvement swiftly enough. Learning is also not always adapted well enough to meet the needs of different groups, including some pupils with SEND. Pupils show that they are ‘responsible, respectful and ready’ throughout the day. This begins in the early years, where children follow well-established routines. Bullying and disruption are rare. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes, form caring relationships with adults and are confident to ‘have a go’. As a result, pupils feel safe and happy. Children in Nursery and Reception get off to a positive start. They build secure foundations in their learning and development, including learning to read letters and sounds, writing and understanding numbers. Pupils value the enrichment opportunities the school provides, including clubs, educational visits and a residential trip. These experiences help pupils develop their interests beyond the classroom. Older pupils take pride in their leadership responsibilities, such as acting as role models for their Reception ‘buddies’.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that pupils receive the support they need to improve their handwriting and transcription skills so that they can write fluently and accurately. • Leaders should ensure that teachers routinely check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform future teaching. • Leaders should ensure that learning is suitably adapted so that all groups of pupils receive the support they need to access and progress through the curriculum well. • Leaders, including governors, should ensure they gather information systematically to evaluate the impact of any planned changes and bring about improvement more swiftly.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)