Paternoster School
Watermoor Road, Cirencester, GL7 1JR
- Phase
- Academies
- School type
- Academy special sponsor led
- Ages
- 2 to 17
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- SAND ACADEMIES TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jennifer Laird
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- The Milestone School
- SEN provision
- VI - Visual Impairment, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, PD - Physical Disability, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
- Constituency
- South Cotswolds
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 60
- Pupils on roll
- 66
- URN
- 147158
- Local authority
- Gloucestershire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01285652480
About this school
Paternoster School is a special academy in Cirencester. It teaches children aged 2 to 17 and has 66 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | - | 0% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 0% | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in maths | 0% | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 0% | - | 0% |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | - |
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 12 | 5 | 7 |
| Attainment 8 score | - | - | - |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | - | - | - |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | - | - | - |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | - | - | - |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | - | - | - |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Paternoster School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Gloucestershire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 0% | 58.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | — | 56.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 0% | 59.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 9.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 9.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 66 |
| 2023/24 | 66 |
| 2024/25 | 66 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 39.39%
- English as an additional language
- 7.6%
- Overall absence
- 9.52%
- Persistent absence
- 16.67%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Royal Agricultural University1.3 miles
Universities · Cirencester
-
Meadow Bridge School6.6 miles
Special schools · Wiltshire
-
Cricklade Manor Prep6.9 miles
Independent schools · Swindon
-
Hatherop Castle School8.2 miles
Independent schools · Gloucestershire
-
Churchward School9.3 miles
Free Schools · Swindon
Other schools in Cirencester
- Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School Primary
- Ann Edwards Church of England Primary School Primary
- Bibury Church of England Primary School Primary
- Chesterton Primary School Primary
- Cirencester Primary School Primary
- Down Ampney Church of England Primary School Primary
- Kemble Primary School Primary
- Meysey Hampton Church of England Primary School Primary
- North Cerney Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Powell's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Rodmarton Primary School Primary
- Sapperton Church of England Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Paternoster School teach?
- Paternoster School teaches children aged 2 to 17. It is a special school in Cirencester.
- Who is the headteacher of Paternoster School?
- The headteacher of Paternoster School is Mrs Jennifer Laird, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Paternoster School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Paternoster School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Paternoster School?
- Paternoster School has 66 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 17.
- Is Paternoster School full?
- Paternoster School has capacity for 60 pupils and 66 on roll (110%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Paternoster School a faith school?
- No. Paternoster School has no designated religious character.
- Who runs Paternoster School?
- Paternoster School is part of SAND ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What SEN provision does Paternoster School have?
- The schools register lists Paternoster School's special educational needs provision as: VI - Visual Impairment; ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder; SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health; PD - Physical Disability; SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty; PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- How have Paternoster School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 0% in 2022/23 and 0% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What is Paternoster School's absence rate?
- Paternoster School's overall absence rate is 9.5% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Paternoster School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Paternoster School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.