St Stephens Church School Review 2026: High-attaining Church of England primary in Lansdown

This is the sort of primary where academic standards and personal development move in step, rather than competing for timetable space. Key Stage 2 outcomes are high across reading, writing and maths, and the school also shows a clear intent to shape character through an explicit set of values, plus leadership opportunities for older pupils.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (28 to 29 June 2022) confirmed that the school continues to be Good, with safeguarding judged effective. In the same report, the headteacher is named as Claire Taylor, who took up post in January 2022, and the school is described as a calm, purposeful place to learn.

For families, the headline is simple: strong results in a Church of England setting, with competition for Reception places that is real but not extreme by Bath standards.

Values are not treated as wallpaper here. Pupils can articulate them, and they link them directly to day-to-day expectations about behaviour and relationships. In the latest Ofsted report, pupils describe how the school’s values guide them to be kind, respectful, and to do their best, and adults are described as setting high expectations that translate into good behaviour in lessons and around the site.

The school’s Church of England identity sits naturally alongside this values language. A separate church-school inspection commentary published by the multi-academy trust emphasises the role of Christian vision and the relationship with the local church in shaping worship and community life, including regular and seasonal worship events. Families who like faith-informed language and daily rhythms of collective worship are likely to feel aligned; those who prefer a more secular tone should make sure the ethos fits their household.

A notable cultural marker is the emphasis on pupil voice and responsibility. Ofsted highlights that pupils appreciate having a voice, and that personal development is promoted through a wide range of experiences. In practice, that signals a school that wants pupils to speak up, take responsibility, and see themselves as contributors, not just attendees.

The performance data available for this school is unusually strong for a state primary.

In the most recent Key Stage 2 results, 87.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 35% reached greater depth across reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. These are big margins, and they matter because they suggest success across the cohort, not only at the top.

Drilling down, scaled scores reinforce the picture. Reading is 108 and maths is 107, both above typical national reference points for scaled scores; grammar, punctuation and spelling is 108. Science at the expected standard sits at 98%, again well above typical patterns.

Rankings in England should always be handled carefully, but they can help parents compare like-for-like locally. On FindMySchool’s rankings (built from official data), the school is ranked 2,197th in England for primary outcomes and 6th in Bath. That places it comfortably within the top quarter of schools in England, rather than simply “above average”. Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to benchmark these figures against other Bath primaries in a consistent format.

Implication for families

if your child is academically able, there is strong evidence that they will be stretched rather than capped. If your child is more middle-of-the-pack, the combined expected-standard figure suggests they are still likely to be well supported to reach secure basics by the end of Year 6.

The latest Ofsted inspection offers a useful window into how the school tries to achieve its results, without reducing everything to test preparation.

Reading is treated as a strategic priority across the school, beginning in the early years. Staff training is referenced, and leaders have thought carefully about the range of texts pupils encounter, including texts that help pupils understand wider issues such as racism and slavery. That is a meaningful detail for parents, because it points to reading being used as both a core skill and a route into moral and social understanding.

The same report is also specific about what still needs tightening. Some pupils were not always given books that matched the sounds they were learning, which meant the books were too hard for them. This kind of issue is very fixable, but it is not trivial, because early reading confidence is cumulative. If you are considering Reception or Key Stage 1, it is worth asking how phonics book-matching is now checked, and how quickly support is put in place when a child falls behind.

Mathematics is described as well structured, with opportunities planned carefully in early years so children can succeed and deepen understanding. One example given is children confidently using correct mathematical language while working on doubling numbers and applying it in an activity framed as creating “doubling potions”. This kind of detail suggests staff aim to make fluency and language explicit, rather than leaving it to chance.

Across the wider curriculum, Ofsted notes that leaders have clearly sequenced learning in some subjects such as computing and physical education, but that in other subjects the precise knowledge pupils need to learn and remember was not always identified clearly enough, and checking of what pupils know was not consistently strong. For parents, the practical question is whether subject leaders now define “what success looks like” in foundation subjects, so learning builds steadily year on year rather than repeating themes loosely.

As a primary, the key transition is into secondary education at Year 7. Admissions in Bath and North East Somerset are shaped by geography, transport routes, and the mix of schools across the city. This school sits in Lansdown, which means families often explore several possible secondary pathways depending on where they live within Bath and how far they are willing to travel.

What St Stephens Church School can do well, based on its culture, is prepare pupils to handle the expectations of a busier secondary timetable. A calm behavioural baseline, explicit values, and structured teaching are all protective factors during the jump to secondary, because pupils arrive used to routines and clear expectations.

If you want a sharper picture of “typical destinations”, you will usually need to ask the school directly, because most primaries do not publish a formal destinations list. When you visit, ask how transition is handled in Year 6, whether pupils get additional support around anxiety and friendship shifts, and how the school works with local secondaries to smooth the handover.

Reception admissions are coordinated by Bath and North East Somerset. For September 2026 entry, the local authority states that the closing date is 15 January 2026, with online outcomes for on-time applications issued on 16 April 2026, and families asked to respond by 30 May 2026.

St Stephens Church School is oversubscribed in the admissions dataset provided. It received 96 applications for 58 offers for the Reception entry route captured, which equates to about 1.66 applications per place offered. That is competitive, but it is not in the “near-impossible” tier; realistic planning is still essential.

The LA’s admissions guide summarises the school’s oversubscription priorities in plain terms: looked-after and previously looked-after children are highest priority, then siblings, then distance (measured in a straight line). Because distance is central, families should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check their precise home-to-gate measurement, then sense-check it against recent allocation patterns. If you are moving house, pay close attention to the documentary evidence requirements and deadlines in the local authority guide.

No last-distance-offered figure is available in the provided dataset for this school, so it is not sensible to make claims about how close you “need” to live. Instead, treat proximity as a strong advantage and verify the most recent distance allocation pattern via the local authority’s published admissions information.

The most useful official signals here relate to safety, relationships, and the school’s handling of behaviour.

Safeguarding is judged effective, and leaders are described as promoting a vigilant culture where staff are trained to spot concerns and act quickly, with pupils understanding how to stay safe, including online. That matters in practical terms because it speaks to systems, not just intentions.

Behaviour is described as calm and consistent, supported by clear expectations known internally as “the golden 3”. For parents, a short visit at the start or end of the day often reveals whether this is lived reality. Ask how behaviour is managed when pupils struggle, and how the school works with families if patterns emerge.

For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, leaders are described as ambitious and as working closely with staff, parents, and external agencies where needed, so support is tailored and pupils learn confidently across the curriculum. The important follow-up questions in a visit are about the specifics: how support is deployed in class, how progress is tracked, and what happens when needs change.

The extracurricular story here is best understood as breadth plus purposeful experiences, rather than a long published list of clubs.

Ofsted notes a wide range of opportunities beyond lessons, including sport, art, music, visits, and residential trips, and links these experiences to confidence and resilience. That is the “what” and the “why”; the “how” is in the detail of what pupils actually do.

Two specific examples appear in the most recent inspection evidence:

• Choral performance opportunities, including participation in a local choral concert.

• Year 6 pupil leadership, where all pupils receive the opportunity to take on a pupil leader role.

These matter because they are inclusive by design. A choral concert offers a public performance goal that rewards practice and teamwork, and a universal leadership entitlement avoids the common pattern where leadership is reserved for a small group of confident pupils. The implication is a wider base of pupils who get to rehearse responsibility, public speaking, and representing others.

The inspection evidence also references visitors speaking to pupils about different jobs, including archaeology. That sort of encounter can be a powerful way to broaden aspiration at primary age, particularly for pupils who do not meet a wide range of professions at home.

St Stephens Church School is a state primary with no tuition fees. The school is in Lansdown, Bath, which can be convenient for families who walk from nearby residential streets, but hilly terrain can affect the practicality of walking and scooting depending on your route.

Publicly accessible sources confirm that there is registered after-school childcare linked to the school, but detailed daily timings and booking arrangements should be checked directly with the school because they are not reliably available in the accessible official listings.

For travel planning, assume Bath traffic pinch points can make short distances slow at peak times. If you rely on driving, do a trial run at drop-off time before committing to a plan.

• A real improvement agenda still exists. Ofsted highlighted specific next steps around phonics book-matching and clarifying what pupils must know in some foundation subjects. Ask what has changed since June 2022, and how leaders check consistency across classes.

• Oversubscription is not theoretical. The admissions dataset shows more applications than offers for the Reception entry route. Families should plan early, understand sibling and distance implications, and keep a realistic second preference.

• Faith character is part of daily life. Church of England ethos and worship are present, with an active relationship with the local church referenced in formal church-school commentary. Families should make sure this aligns with their expectations.

• Website access can affect how easily you self-serve information. If you find it difficult to access key documents online, be prepared to request policies and dates directly rather than assuming everything is easy to find at short notice.

St Stephens Church School combines high Key Stage 2 outcomes with a clear values-led culture and a Church of England identity that is more than nominal. The strongest fit is for families who want academically ambitious primary education, appreciate explicit behavioural expectations, and are comfortable with a faith-informed approach to community life. Admission is the main constraint; the education is the reward.