Temple Guiting Church of England School Review 2026: Small village primary with exceptionally strong Key Stage 2 outcomes

A small rural primary with a distinctly big academic footprint, Temple Guiting Church of England School serves families across its local villages while keeping cohort sizes intentionally small. The published admission number is 15, so each year group is designed to remain tight-knit, and day-to-day life is organised through mixed-age classes.

Results are the headline. In the most recent Key Stage 2 measures available here, attainment is exceptionally high across reading, writing and mathematics, and scaled scores sit well above England norms. This makes the school a strong option for families who value academic momentum and clear routines, while still wanting a primary that feels personal and community-facing.

The Church of England character is not a label only. The school’s published vision, its collective worship, and its links to the Diocese of Gloucester shape the tone and priorities, alongside a curriculum offer that includes Forest School, instrumental tuition, residentials, and a lively clubs programme.

Size defines the experience. With roughly 100 pupils in total and a capacity of 105, relationships are likely to be close, routines quickly embedded, and older pupils visible as role models for younger ones. The staffing structure reinforces that “everyone knows everyone” feel, with clear leadership roles, a designated safeguarding lead, and a parent support advisor listed alongside class teams.

Faith and values appear to be used as everyday language rather than occasional add-ons. The school’s published vision centres on helping everyone thrive, and the day-to-day programme described in official reporting includes purposeful work on character, resilience and British values. One practical example is the way pupils are given structured leadership roles and responsibilities, with older pupils explicitly modelling routines for younger children at lunchtimes in mixed-age table groups.

Expectations for behaviour look unusually consistent for a small primary. Pupils are described as highly supportive of one another, and routines in the younger years are treated as a foundation for exemplary behaviour later. That matters in a mixed-age setting, because calm corridors and predictable transitions reduce the “small school wobble” that can sometimes happen when a single pupil’s behaviour affects a large proportion of the cohort.

The church connection is practical as well as cultural. Fundraising activity tied to local church life is referenced in official reporting, alongside an outward-facing approach that includes learning about other faiths through visits. This tends to suit families who value a grounded, village-linked ethos, with religion present but not used as a barrier to broader cultural education.

For a primary school, the outcomes data available here is striking.

In 2024, 100% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 33.67% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%. Reading scaled score was 112 and mathematics 107, both above typical England benchmarks (100 is the national reference point for scaled scores). Grammar, punctuation and spelling scaled score was 110.

Rankings reinforce that picture. Ranked 551st in England and 1st in Cheltenham for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places the school well above the England norm, within the top 10% of schools in England.

A small-school caveat is important. With a published admission number of 15, year groups are small enough that one pupil’s results can shift percentages more noticeably than in a two-form-entry school. The best way to read these figures is as evidence of consistently strong teaching and curriculum sequencing, with the understanding that the precise percentages can vary year to year in a small cohort.

For parents comparing options locally, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and comparison tools are useful for placing these results alongside nearby schools that share a similar rural intake and cohort size.

The curriculum is presented as broad and carefully planned, and official reporting gives unusually concrete examples of how learning is structured. Early reading is described as a leadership priority, with whole-staff training in the chosen programme and checks to ensure pupils who fall behind receive swift, targeted support. The practical classroom routine described, blending sounds in unison and practising decodable books that match pupils’ current phonics knowledge, is the kind of consistent approach that often explains strong reading outcomes by the end of Key Stage 2.

Curriculum sequencing is another recurring theme. In most subjects, knowledge is broken into small steps that build towards clear end points, and pupils are expected to articulate how later learning connects to earlier work. A specific example referenced is design and technology, where stitching skills progress from simpler to more complex techniques. That sort of deliberate progression is especially helpful in mixed-age classes, because teachers need clear “what next” pathways when two year groups are being taught in parallel.

Where there is room for improvement, the issue is also specific rather than generic. A small minority of foundation subjects are described as needing sharper definition of the most important knowledge pupils should remember for the next stage, so that teaching and retrieval practice consistently emphasise the right content. That is a manageable improvement focus, and it is the type that often results in tighter long-term retention rather than dramatic day-to-day changes families would notice immediately.

Forest School is positioned as an integrated learning approach rather than an occasional enrichment afternoon. The school describes planned outdoor sessions with clear safety routines, including a base-camp start point and explicit risk assessment for the natural environment. For pupils who learn best with practical tasks and real-world exploration, this can be an important counterbalance to formal literacy and numeracy routines.

As a village primary, destination patterns tend to be shaped by geography and transport as much as preference. The school identifies local secondary options including Chipping Campden School, The Cotswold School, and Winchcombe School. That range gives families different flavours of comprehensive education across a wider rural area, and it is sensible to consider travel time alongside the school’s strengths on paper.

The school also notes that some families consider grammar schools if they feel a different academic approach would suit their child. In practice, the exceptionally strong Key Stage 2 outcomes here suggest pupils should be well prepared for academically selective pathways if families choose them, though the decision should be based on the individual child’s temperament as well as ability.

Transition preparation in a small school often works best when it focuses on independence and confidence rather than simply “more work”. The school’s emphasis on resilience, leadership roles, and structured routines is well aligned with what pupils need for the step up to larger settings.

Reception entry is coordinated by Gloucestershire County Council rather than handled directly by the school. For September 2026 entry, the council’s published timetable sets out a clear window:

• Application window runs from 3 November 2025 to midnight on 15 January 2026

• Allocation day is 16 April 2026

• Reply deadline to accept the place or request waiting lists is 23 April 2026

These dates matter because, in a popular small school, late applications are more likely to land on a waiting list.

Demand data supports the “small and competitive” picture. For the entry route measured here, 37 applications were made for 15 offers, which is about 2.47 applications per place. The school is recorded as oversubscribed.

For Years 1 to 6 (in-year admissions), the school manages applications directly and restates a published admission number of 15 for each year group.

If you are weighing the realistic chance of securing a place, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Map Search tools to model travel logistics and compare alternative schools that remain practical if your first preference is not offered.

Pastoral support in a small setting can be a decisive factor, because pupils do not have the anonymity that sometimes makes it easier to “hide” worries. The school’s staffing list makes safeguarding roles explicit, including a designated safeguarding lead and deputy safeguarding leads, alongside a parent support advisor. That clarity is reassuring for parents who want to understand how concerns are handled and who holds responsibility.

The wider culture described in official reporting emphasises positive peer relationships and high expectations for conduct. Pupils are expected to support one another, and routines are taught firmly in the younger years so that behaviour becomes consistent across the school. This tends to suit children who do best in calm, predictable environments, and it can also be helpful for pupils who need clear boundaries to feel secure.

The latest Ofsted inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

A small primary can feel limited if enrichment is treated as an optional extra. Here, enrichment is described as planned and purposeful, with a mixture of clubs, trips, outdoor learning, and music.

Clubs and activities are referenced explicitly in official reporting, including karate, cricket and football as popular options. For families who want breadth beyond the classroom, that matters, because regular clubs are often where confidence grows for pupils who are quieter in lessons.

Trips and residentials appear to be a genuine pillar. The school lists a programme of day visits that includes Gloucester Cathedral, SS Great Britain, Warwick Castle, Nature in Art, and Greystones Farm. Residential opportunities include a two-night stay for Years 3 and 4 at Croft Farm near Tewkesbury, and a PGL activity centre residential in Shropshire for Years 5 and 6, running on a two-year cycle. The implication for parents is practical as well as educational: these trips build independence before secondary transition, but they also create additional costs that families should anticipate.

Forest School is presented as structured, safety-led outdoor education, using planned sessions that start with clear rules and risk awareness in the Forest School area. In a rural context, this is a sensible way to make the local environment part of the curriculum rather than just the backdrop.

Music provision is unusually specific for a small primary. Instrumental tuition listed includes piano and ukulele, flute, clarinet and saxophone, trumpet and trombone, and cello, delivered through peripatetic lessons with limited spaces. For pupils who commit to lessons, this can become a meaningful long-term interest, and it often supports confidence and concentration across the curriculum.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

School hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm. Pupils can be dropped off from 8.40am, and breakfast club runs daily from 8.00am. After-school care is offered daily until 5.30pm, with session pricing published for breakfast club and after-school sessions.

Transport is an important practical consideration in a rural setting. The school notes local authority distance thresholds for free transport, and also references a current daily minibus from Guiting Power for eligible pupils.

• Competition for places. With 37 applications for 15 offers in the admissions snapshot available here, demand is high for a very small intake. Consider realistic alternatives alongside your first preference.

• Mixed-age classes. Staffing is organised in mixed year groups, including Years 5 and 6 together and Years 3 and 4 together. This can be excellent for peer modelling and confidence, but it also means teaching needs to be highly structured to meet two curricula at once.

• Church of England character. The Christian vision is central to the school’s identity. The most recent SIAMS report linked by the school is from May 2019, so families who want a current picture of church-school practice should explore how worship and RE are experienced day to day.

• Rural logistics and costs. Wraparound care and trips are part of school life, but they bring scheduling and cost considerations. In a village context, transport plans and after-school arrangements often need thinking through early.

Temple Guiting Church of England School combines a small-school, village-primary experience with outcomes that are among the strongest in England. The education is shaped by clear routines, careful curriculum sequencing, and a culture that treats behaviour and personal development as priorities rather than add-ons.

Best suited to families who want a close-knit primary with very strong Key Stage 2 attainment, who are comfortable with a Church of England ethos and can manage the practical realities of rural transport and a competitive admissions environment.