Sandford Hill Primary School

Sandford Hill Primary has transitioned from its previous outstanding grading to achieving a good overall effectiveness during its recent inspection. The school is committed to fostering a supportive environment where pupils are central to every decision. Positive relationships among pupils and staff contribute to an engaging educational experience, although the school identifies that it still needs to develop certain aspects of its curriculum further. The extended gap between inspections, due to the school's previous exemption and the COVID-19 pandemic, provides context to its current grading, setting the stage for growth and development in multiple areas.

Strengths

• Strong emphasis on fostering pupils' personal development and social skills.
• Effective phonics teaching that promotes a love of reading.
• Supportive relationships that enhance pupil well-being and engagement.
• Inclusive practices for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A rich and varied curriculum with extensive extracurricular opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• The writing curriculum is not yet fully developed, impacting some pupils' achievements.
• Mathematical reasoning is not yet embedded, leading to gaps in pupils' understanding.

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 Sandford Hill Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.2% 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 Sandford Hill 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 Sandford Hill Primary School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.3% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Sandford Hill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Sandford Hill Primary School received £7,031 and spent £6,872 for each of its 430 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £275,000 (£639 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 Stoke-On-Trent · Stoke-on-Trent local authority: places and applications

What is Sandford Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sandford Hill Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Sandford Hill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sandford Hill Primary School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Sandford Hill Primary School have?

Sandford Hill Primary School has 430 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sandford Hill Primary School cover?

Sandford Hill Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sandford Hill Primary School?

Sandford Hill Primary School is at Clayfield Grove, Sandford Hill, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST3 5AQ.