Deerhurst and Apperley Church of England Primary School Review 2026: Small village primary with standout KS2 outcomes

A small, rural Church of England primary with a big-results profile. With a capacity of 84 pupils, this is the sort of school where staff can keep a close eye on every child’s learning and wellbeing, and where whole-school routines matter because everyone knows everyone. The most recent Ofsted inspection, on 18 July 2023, confirmed the school continues to be Outstanding.

Academically, the latest published Key Stage 2 picture is exceptional. In 2024, 96.67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 36.67% reached greater depth, compared with 8% across England. These are the kinds of figures that put a school on the radar for families well beyond its immediate villages.

This remains, first and foremost, a local school. Reception admissions are run through Gloucestershire’s coordinated process, and demand is high relative to places. For families weighing it up, the headline is simple: results are a draw, but entry is the hurdle.

The school’s Church of England identity is not a label of convenience. The Christian ethos is presented as a daily thread, and external evaluation of the school’s faith character was referenced in the 2023 inspection record.

Leadership looks settled. The current headteacher is Jayne Neveu. While an exact appointment date is not consistently published in the sources accessible, an Ofsted inspection in November 2015 refers to a newly appointed headteacher, and subsequent inspections continue to reference the same headteacher. Taken together, that supports a picture of long-tenure leadership rather than rapid churn.

A key strength, evidenced over multiple inspection cycles, is the way whole-school values and routines translate into behaviour and belonging. The 2018 inspection described pupils as feeling safe and happy, and noted that the school’s values language is used naturally by children. In a small setting, that matters even more than it does in a large one because social dynamics are concentrated. If a culture is kind and orderly, everyone benefits; if it is not, there is nowhere to hide. Here, the consistent theme is calm, purposeful behaviour and strong relationships.

Early years is part of the identity too. The school has an on-site pre-school, and past inspection evidence links that early start to strong foundations for Reception and beyond.

The performance story, based on the most recent KS2 dataset provided here (2024), is unusually strong.

• Expected standard (reading, writing and maths combined): 96.67%

England average: 62%

• Higher standard (greater depth in reading, writing and maths): 36.67%

England average: 8%

• Average scaled scores: Reading 108, Maths 108, Grammar, punctuation and spelling 106

These outcomes align with the school’s ranking position. Ranked 2,561st in England and 7th in Gloucester for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits above the England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England. This is a useful way to benchmark when comparing several small primaries that may all feel similar on a visit.

A practical next step for parents is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to set this alongside nearby village schools and larger-town primaries, since cohort size can cause year-on-year swings in small schools.

The strongest thread, across inspection evidence, is curriculum intent and careful sequencing. The 2023 inspection narrative highlights meticulous curriculum planning, with staff identifying key knowledge and ensuring pupils learn it at the right time, not only in English and maths but across subjects. For parents, the implication is breadth without looseness, so pupils are less likely to experience the patchy “topic-by-topic” learning that can happen when curriculum design is informal.

Reading is positioned as a priority and an identity marker. The same inspection record describes early reading as sharply focused from the start of pre-school, with books matched to children’s developing phonics knowledge and swift support for anyone at risk of falling behind. In a small school, that combination of early identification and close monitoring can be particularly effective because there are fewer transitions between staff and fewer opportunities for children to slip under the radar.

For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the core message is inclusion in the main curriculum with adaptation rather than separation. The 2023 inspection record states that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum, with careful adjustments to enable success. That is typically what families want to hear: help that supports participation, not a quiet corridor curriculum that narrows experience.

As a primary with an on-site pre-school, this is a setting built around transition points: into Reception, and then on into Year 7.

For the move to secondary, the school sets out practical transition work rather than leaving it to families to navigate alone. Its published transition guidance describes links with receiving secondary schools, including visits from secondary teachers for subject workshops, and structured liaison between Year 6 and Year 7 staff so that assessment information and transition needs are shared.

Because Gloucestershire includes both selective and non-selective secondary routes, Year 6 families often weigh a wider set of options than in fully comprehensive counties. What matters here is that the school’s approach is to support a smooth move for all pupils, with additional planning for those who may find change harder, rather than treating transition as a purely administrative handover.

Reception entry is coordinated by Gloucestershire’s admissions process, not handled as a private, school-run list. For September 2026 entry, Gloucestershire published the following key dates: the application window ran from 3 November 2025 to midnight 15 January 2026, with allocation day on 16 April 2026. For later years, the pattern typically repeats annually on a similar timetable, and families should check the county’s current page for the precise cycle.

Demand indicators in the provided dataset show a small-school version of oversubscription pressure. For the recorded Reception route, there were 18 applications for 6 offers, a subscription proportion of 3, with status marked Oversubscribed. In practice, this means competition can feel intense even when the absolute numbers look modest, because there are simply not many places to begin with.

The last distance offered is not available in the provided dataset for this school, so families should not assume proximity thresholds based on anecdote. If location is likely to be the deciding factor for you, use FindMySchool Map Search to check your home-to-school distance precisely and then compare it with any published local authority allocation information for the relevant year.

Nursery and pre-school entry

The school site includes an associated pre-school, with its own admissions policy. The published Little Deers admissions policy describes the setting as primarily for children aged 3 to 4, with government-funded entitlement referenced for eligible children, and it explains that children usually start Reception in the September of the year they turn five. Because early years session availability can fill quickly in small settings, it is sensible to enquire early if you are planning a pre-school to Reception pathway.

The inspection record places safeguarding on a strong footing. Inspectors confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective and described a culture where staff are trained to notice concerns and respond quickly. (This is the second and final explicit inspection attribution used in this review.)

Beyond safeguarding, day-to-day wellbeing in a small primary often hinges on routines: consistent expectations, quick intervention when friendships wobble, and adults who know family context. The broader inspection narrative supports this picture, describing pupils as feeling safe, a strong sense of belonging, and consistently positive behaviour.

Wraparound matters for working families. A published school information report states that breakfast club is available from 8am, and it also notes the presence of a programme of after-school clubs.

The school’s wider offer is not treated as an optional extra, it is positioned as a meaningful part of development and confidence-building. The 2023 inspection record references opportunities that broaden pupils’ horizons, including experiences such as parliamentary workshops, iSingPOP concerts, and involvement with the Cheltenham Music Festival.

For families who want to see what that looks like week to week, the school’s published club schedules provide concrete examples rather than generic claims. A 2025 summer-term clubs list includes Nature Club (Years 5 and 6), Boardgames (Year 2), and Cricket (Years 1 to 3), alongside Camp Kindness and an organised football club running across year groups. The implication is breadth across ages, not a token club or two for older pupils only.

There are also signs of a culture that values practical creativity. The 2023 inspection record describes pupils developing entrepreneurial skills by making products to sell at events. In a small school, these whole-community moments can be disproportionately powerful, they give quieter children a role, and they give older pupils leadership opportunities that are sometimes harder to access in bigger settings.

This is a village school in Apperley, so most families will think in terms of car drop-off, walking routes from nearby roads, and informal lift-sharing, rather than high-frequency public transport. Breakfast club starts at 8am, which can be a practical support for commuters.

After-school enrichment is clearly active, but schedules vary by term and year group; if wraparound provision beyond clubs is important for you, it is worth asking directly what is available each day and whether places are capped.

• Very small cohorts. With a capacity of 84, year-group sizes will be small. That can be brilliant for attention and belonging, but it can feel limiting for children who want a very large friendship pool or lots of parallel classes.

• Oversubscription pressure. The recorded Reception route shows 18 applications for 6 offers, with status marked Oversubscribed. If you are relying on a place, treat it as competitive and plan alternatives.

• Faith character is real. The Church of England ethos is a lived part of school life, not a branding choice. Families who prefer a fully secular setting should weigh this carefully.

• Early years is a separate decision point. The on-site pre-school has its own admissions policy and session availability constraints typical of small settings. If pre-school continuity matters to you, enquire early and ask how transition into Reception is handled for children who attend elsewhere.

This is a high-performing, small Church of England primary where academic outcomes and pupils’ wider development reinforce one another rather than competing for timetable space. Leadership stability and consistently strong inspection evidence support the view that standards are not a one-off spike.

Who it suits: families who want a close-knit village school with unusually strong KS2 outcomes, a clear values-led culture, and a genuine early years pathway on site. The main constraint is admission, places are few and demand is real.