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Sir Bernard Lovell Academy

Secondary · Bristol · BS30 8TS

Data updated

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Expected standard

Report-card inspection (current system, from November 2025)

The headline grade shown is the Achievement area of the school's report card.

Safeguarding: MetCurriculum & teaching: Expected standardAchievement: Expected standardAttendance & behaviour: Expected standardPersonal development: Expected standardInclusion: Expected standardLeadership & governance: Expected standardEarly years: Not applicablePost-16: Needs attention

Inspected 13 January 2026 · report published 28 May 2026

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

1,268 pupils · 90% of 1,409 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Academy sponsor led
Age range
11–18
Gender
Mixed
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
18% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
1.4% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
15.2% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
3.3% of pupils (2024/2025)
Sixth form
Yes
Website
www.sblacademy.org.uk
URN
141665

In figures

For September 2026 entry, 255 families named it first for 236 Year 7 places, 1.08 first choices per place. We hold 3 Year 7 admissions rounds for it, 2024 to 2026; none was decided by a published distance. At its report-card inspection on 13 January 2026, under the system Ofsted introduced in November 2025, the Achievement area was judged Expected standard. In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 8.2% of sessions, against 6.6% across England.

Admissions demand: Year 7 entry, September 2026

1.08 first-choice applications per place

236 places offered · 255 first-choice applications · oversubscribed

First-choice applications per place, by entry year

19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
26/27

Source: DfE applications and offers on national offer day · how demand is measured

Catchment area

Catchment area: not named in the council's figures.

Admissions cutoff distance: Year 7

Cutoff by admission criterion (2026 entry)

Living within the consortium area
1.426 miles

Source: the admissions authority's published figures · how cutoffs work

GCSE results (2024/2025)

204 pupils at the end of key stage 4 in 2024/2025

Attainment 8 score
44.5
England 46.1
Grade 4 or above in English & maths GCSEs
66.2%
England 64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs
43.1%
England 45.4%
EBacc average point score
3.7
England 4.1

Progress 8 is suspended nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26. These cohorts sat no key stage 2 tests (COVID), so there is no baseline to measure progress from.

A-level results (2024/2025)

A-level points per entry (England: 35 ≈ B-) D+
24.5
England 35

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · what “suppressed” means

Schools with a similar intake

Attainment 8, 2024/2025

This school44.5
Median of its 12 closest peers46.5
South Gloucestershire average45.7
England46.1

On attainment 8, this school is in line with the schools that teach a comparable intake.

They are matched on intake, not location, so most are not local: see nearby schools for those you could apply to.

SchoolOfstedAttainment 8
Birkenhead High School AcademyPrenton · 137 miles awayGood50.5
The Duchess's Community High SchoolAlnwick · 275 miles awayRequires improvement43.2
Queen Elizabeth'sCrediton · 69 miles awayExpected standard46.2
Ulverston Victoria High SchoolUlverston · 191 miles awayGood46.8
Brigshaw High SchoolCastleford · 166 miles awayNo current grade47.4
Helston Community CollegeHelston · 153 miles awayGood43.6
King James's SchoolKnaresborough · 182 miles awayGood46.1
Chipping Campden SchoolChipping Campden · 52 miles awayGood47.3
Priestlands SchoolLymington · 62 miles awayGood48.8
Belper School and Sixth Form CentreBelper · 117 miles awayGood44.3
The Cotswold AcademyCheltenham · 43 miles awayOutstanding53
Chelmer Valley High SchoolChelmsford · 128 miles awayGood45.3

It is not a ranking. Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · how the matching works

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 91% (South Gloucestershire 74%, England 59%) · Not recorded 2% (South Gloucestershire 1%, England 2%) · Any other White background 2% (South Gloucestershire 6%, England 7%) · Mixed White and Black Caribbean 1% (South Gloucestershire 2%, England 2%) · Mixed White and Asian 1% (South Gloucestershire 1%, England 2%) · Any other Mixed background 1% (South Gloucestershire 2%, England 3%) · Any other Asian background 1% (South Gloucestershire 2%, England 3%) · other groups together 2%

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
8.2%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
17.2%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

28.79 suspensions per 100 pupils and 0 permanent exclusions · England, secondary schools: 21.24 suspensions and 0.23 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · South Gloucestershire: 25.00 suspensions and 0.13 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

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Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
17.3
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

88% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 1% moved to another state school · 10% left the state-funded sector

Vacancies (November 2025)

0% of teaching posts vacant, 0% filled temporarily · England, secondary academies: 0.45% vacant, 0.33% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

82.8% of teachers took sickness absence, 3.5 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £52,768; 8.8% on the leadership pay range · England, secondary schools: £53,766, 11.3%

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

Spending per pupil (2024-25)

This school£6,754
Typical secondary school£7,846

Where the money went (2024-25)

Share of spending, with the median for secondary schools in brackets: Staff 79% (77%) · premises 6% (5%) · occupation (energy, rates, cleaning) 6% (6%) · supplies and services 8% (11%) · educational supplies 6% (6%) · bought-in professional services 1% (1%) · catering 2% (3%)

Reserves (2024-25)

Revenue reserve £0; in-year balance +£853,000

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Higher spending is not a measure of quality. Source: academy finance return, 2024-25, DfE · how spending is compared

Where pupils go after GCSEs

In sustained education, work or training
92%
Continuing in education
80%
Apprenticeship
8%
Employment
3%

Where students go after sixth form

To university / higher education
24%
Apprenticeship
18%
Employment
45%
Any sustained destination
88%

Destinations measured the year after leaving, DfE destination measures in the 2024/2025 performance tables.

Inspection history since 2015

Source: Ofsted management information · ungraded visits and the two inspection systems

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
7/10less deprived than most of England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
8/10less deprived than most of England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher27.4%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications15.2%18.1%
In managerial or professional work36%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways14%18.1%
Residents in very good health47.7%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier74.6%62.3%
Social housing14.1%17.1%
Privately rented11.3%20.5%
Detached houses23.3%22.9%
Flats5.2%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms31.2%21.1%
Households with no car or van8.1%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01014936 · how to read area figures

What homes cost nearby

Median sale price
£330,000309 sales within 1 km, January 2024 to September 2026
Typical range
£290,000–£420,000the middle half of sales
England median
£300,000all sales over the same period
Detached (82)£441,000
Semi-detached (117)£347,000
Terraced (89)£295,000
Flat (21)£168,000

Homes around this school are dearer than most school neighbourhoods in England, comparing the median within 1 km across every state school.

Source: HM Land Registry sales within 1 km since January 2024 · how sales are counted. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcodes located with OS Code-Point Open: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
0an urban school averages 2.0
Collisions at school-run times
0an urban school averages 5.7
All reported collisions
6an urban school averages 30.5
Of those, serious or fatal
1an urban school averages 6.1

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools