St Matthew's CofE Primary School

St Matthew's CofE Primary School demonstrates strong overall performance, with a cohesive focus on safeguarding, inclusive education, and high levels of pupil engagement. The school has cultivated an environment where pupils feel safe and supported, contributing to their overall wellbeing and academic success. Notably, leaders have established a curriculum that is ambitious and well-sequenced, ensuring pupils develop essential skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. The positive culture and dedication of the staff are evident, as they work collaboratively to support all students, particularly those with special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Strengths

• High attendance rates significantly above national averages.
• Strong emphasis on safeguarding, creating a safe and open environment.
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum tailored to pupils' needs.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Engaged and well-motivated pupils who exhibit positive attitudes to learning.
• High-quality phonics instruction and well-taught handwriting.
• Strong leadership and governance with a clear vision.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils, especially those with special educational needs, do not consistently develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum.
• Enrichment activities could better reflect pupils' interests and aspirations.
• Early years activities sometimes do not match children's prior learning adequately.

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 St Matthew's CofE Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Matthew's CofE 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 St Matthew's CofE Primary School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 7.2% of pupils at St Matthew's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 St Matthew's CofE Primary School received £7,680 and spent £7,256 for each of its 447 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £710,000 (£1,588 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is St Matthew's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Matthew's CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was St Matthew's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does St Matthew's CofE Primary School have?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School has 470 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Matthew's CofE Primary School cover?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Matthew's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Matthew's CofE Primary School?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School is at Windmill Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 3LX.