Glebefields Primary School

Glebefields Primary is a happy, orderly and ambitious school where pupils feel safe and keen to learn. Inspectors found high expectations, good behaviour and strong progress, with reading a clear priority from the start. The early years provides a secure foundation, pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well, and attendance has improved. The curriculum has been strengthened, Year 6 attainment has risen, and pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and community safety work. Leadership and governance are strong, staff workload is considered, and safeguarding is effective. The main areas for improvement are small but important inconsistencies in teaching. Sometimes teachers do not explain subject-specific vocabulary precisely enough, which leaves pupils unclear about key words. Assessment checks are not always used consistently well, so a few pupils do not remember essential knowledge or have misconceptions addressed promptly. This was a graded inspection under the current framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was given; the school’s previous inspection grade was requires improvement. It is a maintained primary school with 380 pupils aged 3 to 11.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and are keen to learn.
• High expectations help pupils work hard and achieve well.
• Behaviour has improved under a new policy; pupils are polite and respectful.
• Bullying is rare and dealt with effectively.
• Early years curriculum is well thought through and gives children a secure start.
• Children’s communication and language gaps are addressed through planned opportunities.
• Phonics is prioritised and struggling readers are supported to catch up quickly.
• Reading books are well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and receive carefully designed support.
• Curriculum improvements and staff training have helped raise Year 6 attainment.
• Teachers model writing expectations carefully and pupils take pride in presentation.
• Attendance has improved and persistent absence has reduced.
• Clubs, trips and community safety work enrich pupils’ experience.
• Governors challenge leaders robustly and leaders reduce staff workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always explain subject-specific vocabulary precisely enough, confusing some pupils.
• Assessment is not consistently effective across the school, so misconceptions are not always addressed promptly.
• Some pupils do not remember essential knowledge because checks on learning are sometimes too weak.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Glebefields Primary School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.5% of pupils at Glebefields Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Glebefields Primary School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 21.6% of pupils at Glebefields Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Glebefields Primary School received £8,190 and spent £7,766 for each of its 353 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £117,000 (£332 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Tipton · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

What is Glebefields Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Glebefields Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Glebefields Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Glebefields Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Glebefields Primary School have?

Glebefields Primary School has 366 pupils on roll.

What age range does Glebefields Primary School cover?

Glebefields Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Glebefields Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Glebefields Primary School?

Glebefields Primary School is at Sandgate Road, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 0SX.