In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Schools and nurseries25993 primary · 15 secondary · 136 nurseries
Primaries Good or better96%England 96%
Met the standard at 1164%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths41%Attainment 8 42.9, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary16%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school17%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in South Gloucestershire
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority in the South West with 93 mainstream primary schools and 15 mainstream secondary schools. Towns with the most schools include Kingswood and Fishponds, Yate and Bradley Stoke. 89.4% got their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire runs its school year in six terms and publishes the start and end dates of each. Source
Academies and voluntary aided schools in South Gloucestershire set their own term dates, so check with the school. Source
The council's school meals pages cover free school meals and free holiday and activity food clubs. Source
From South Gloucestershire council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
Key dates each year
31 October
Secondary school applications close
15 January
Primary school applications close
1 March
Secondary school offers
16 April
Primary school offers
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
92.8%got their first-choice primary school in South Gloucestershire in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 77 of 151 councils. 98.3% got one of their top three.4.4% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
89.4%got their first-choice secondary school in South Gloucestershire in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 48 of 151 councils. 98.3% got one of their top three.15.6% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
1 of 15 primary appeals heard in South Gloucestershire succeeded in 2025. 6 of 49 secondary appeals heard in South Gloucestershire succeeded in 2025.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up South Gloucestershire
South GloucestershireEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 67 primaries with one.
96%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
6 of the 6 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
64%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
41%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
17%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
16%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 80 schools that have one.
96%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding6
Good71
Requires improvement2
Inadequate1
How it has changed
South Gloucestershire in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1164% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths41% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school17% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
South Gloucestershire
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
96%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
64%
62%
Attainment 8
42.9
46.2
Persistent absence
17%
18%
Pupils per teacher
18.8:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£7,337
£8,120
In education or work after 16
90%
91%
Went on to higher education
39%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
20%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
15%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
17%
27%
DfE local authority code 803, ONS code E06000025.
Living here
What it's like for families
South Gloucestershire has 259 schools and nurseries across 9 towns and villages, the biggest being Kingswood and Fishponds, Yate, Bradley Stoke and Patchway.
There are 7% more pupils than in 2018.
16% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in South Gloucestershire's state schools each January.
38.7k2018
38.9k2019
39.8k2021
40.3k2022
41.1k2023
41.7k2024
41.6k2025
41.4k2026
Up 7% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
South Gloucestershire16%
Keep up with schools in South Gloucestershire
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
South Gloucestershire has 259 schools, including 108 primary schools, 29 secondary schools, 136 nurseries, 6 independent schools, 10 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in South Gloucestershire?+
The highest-ranked schools in South Gloucestershire on Eduscope are Beacon Rise Primary School, Mangotsfield Church of England Primary School, Frampton Cotterell Church of England Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in South Gloucestershire are rated Good or Outstanding?+
96% of inspected schools in South Gloucestershire hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 6 schools rated Outstanding and 71 rated Good.
How do primary schools in South Gloucestershire perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in South Gloucestershire, 64% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in South Gloucestershire?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in South Gloucestershire is 18.8:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in South Gloucestershire schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in South Gloucestershire is 17.3%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in South Gloucestershire?+
There are 41,447 pupils enrolled across schools in South Gloucestershire, with 23,199 in primary and 18,248 in secondary. 17.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in South Gloucestershire?+
There are 6 independent schools in South Gloucestershire. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in South Gloucestershire on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in South Gloucestershire?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 259 schools in South Gloucestershire by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.