Cotham Gardens Primary School ended the school year on a high – with significantly improved academic outcomes and the appointment of a new permanent leadership team.
In national assessments (SATS), pupils performed in line with or above the national average in key areas. This included improvements of more than ten percentage points from 2023/24 in reading, writing and maths while results for younger children in phonics and early years development goals were also strong.
Emmeline Smith has been appointed permanent Head of School after serving a year in the role on an interim basis, while Chris Seaton, the school’s trust CEO, will continue in post until September 2026.
Ms Smith said: “There are so many positive things happening at Cotham Gardens and I want to pay tribute to the entire school community—staff, parents, carers, pupils and wider community supporters—for working with us to bring about this improvement.”
“This September, we will welcome two Reception classes and have waiting lists in two other year groups—affirming the school’s reputation and appeal. Excitingly, Elmtree Preschool will also relocate to our Elmgrove site from September 2025.”
Mr Seaton added: “Whilst we continue to seek a strong multi academy trust partner, we recognise that the climate is challenging for schools and trusts both locally and nationally. Meanwhile, our focus remains on building a thriving and resilient school.
“Thank-you to our staff and to our governing body. Thanks also to our families and community for their trust and support – your faith in us has been vindicated. This summer, we celebrate the gains we’ve made and look forward to more academic progress and greater certainty for the school’s direction in the year ahead.”
Ofsted praises St John’s
St John’s Church of England Primary School in Clifton has been recognised for its exceptional strengths in its latest Ofsted inspection, receiving Outstanding judgements in four out of five categories.
The inspection in May of the 471-pupil school was the first under the updated framework, which no longer gives schools a single overall one-word judgement.
Instead, schools are now graded separately across key areas, providing a more detailed and balanced view of performance. St John’s was awarded Outstanding for Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management, and Early Years Provision.
Although the judgement for Quality of Education has moved from Outstanding to Good, the report acknowledges the school’s strong progress and clear commitment to ongoing improvement.
It celebrates St John’s as “a place where children flourish both academically and personally,” highlighting the school’s “magical experience of reading” and “uncompromising drive to give pupils a high-quality education.”.
Headteacher Justin Hoye said, “We are thrilled that our focus on children’s personal development, attitudes and happiness comes through so strongly in the report. We wholeheartedly believe that this is at the heart of primary education and setting children up for the future.”
“Recognising that St John’s is a place where ‘pupils thrive’ is extremely important to us.
“The outstanding feedback from our families, with 100% of parents and carers saying they would recommend St John’s is a testament to the trust and confidence they place in our school every day.”
The school extended its thanks to all staff, governors, families, and pupils for their commitment and support.
The full Ofsted report is available on the school website.