Mapledene Primary School

Mapledene Primary School is performing at the expected standard overall. Safeguarding is met, and the school is judged expected standard in achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils are well prepared for secondary school, learn the curriculum well, and disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are supported effectively. The school has a calm, inclusive culture, strong pastoral care, good early reading and phonics, and a broad enrichment offer including music. Attendance has improved significantly and behaviour is positive. Leaders know the school well and governance is effective, but the report identifies some areas for refinement. Handwriting is not consistently developed to a high standard, and staff do not always check work precisely enough for errors or misconceptions or ensure pupils routinely edit their work. Leaders also need a more detailed and insightful analysis of school performance to identify and monitor priorities. Despite recent improvement, overall and persistent absence remain above national averages. The school serves a community with well-above-average free school meals and above-average deprivation, and it runs a SEND unit.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture.
• Pupils achieve expected standards and are well prepared for secondary school.
• Phonics and early reading are taught effectively, including targeted support.
• Leaders have improved attendance through a creative and thoughtful approach.
• Pupils behave well in a calm, safe and orderly environment.
• The curriculum is broad, well planned and prioritises reading, writing and mathematics.
• Early years provision gives children a positive and effective start.
• Inclusion is strong, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Leadership and governance are effective, supportive and well informed.
• Personal development, pastoral care and enrichment opportunities are strengths.
• Music is a notable strength, supported by dedicated facilities and specialist teaching.
• Relationships with parents and staff wellbeing are very positive.

Areas for Improvement

• Handwriting and letter formation are inconsistent and not developed to a consistently high standard.
• Staff do not always identify and correct errors or misconceptions quickly and precisely.
• Pupils are not routinely given opportunities to edit their own work.
• Leaders' analysis of school performance is not detailed or insightful enough to identify and monitor priorities.
• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages, despite recent improvement.

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 Mapledene Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.3% 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 Mapledene 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 Mapledene Primary School had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Mapledene Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 Mapledene Primary School received £7,682 and spent £7,411 for each of its 293 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £18,000 (£62 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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What is Mapledene Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mapledene Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Mapledene Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mapledene Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Mapledene Primary School have?

Mapledene Primary School has 293 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mapledene Primary School cover?

Mapledene Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mapledene Primary School?

Mapledene Primary School is at Mapledene Road, Mapledene Road, Birmingham, Uk, Birmingham, West Midlands, B26 3XE.