The Vaynor First School

The Vaynor First School is a happy, high-performing first school where pupils are inspired to do their best and behave exceptionally well. Inspectors found particular strength in behaviour and early years provision, with a calm, orderly atmosphere, highly positive relationships and children who are extremely well prepared for key stage 1. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, reading is prioritised, pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well, attendance is good, and personal development prepares pupils well for life beyond school. Safeguarding is effective, and staff, governors and trustees work together well. The main area for improvement is assessment. The school does not always use strategies to check what pupils know and can do effectively enough, which at times prevents teachers from building on prior learning and moving pupils on to new learning as soon as they are ready. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 graded inspection; it is an academy converter within The Endeavour Schools Trust.

Strengths

• High expectations and a culture where pupils are inspired to be the best they can be
• Exceptional pupil behaviour and a calm, orderly atmosphere
• Highly positive relationships with parents and carers, with pupils feeling valued and safe
• Broad and ambitious curriculum carefully sequenced from early years to Year 4
• Well-thought-out professional development giving staff secure subject knowledge
• Swift identification of SEND and effective adaptation of support
• Strong focus on reading with a well-structured phonics programme and targeted help
• Outstanding early years provision with skilled staff and effective indoor and outdoor learning
• Good attendance and highly effective work with parents to overcome barriers
• Personal, social and health education prepares pupils well for life beyond school
• Pupils take pride in leadership roles and contribute to the local community
• Effective governance and trust support, with attention to staff workload and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• The school does not always make effective use of strategies to check what pupils know and can do, which can prevent teachers from building on prior learning and moving pupils on as soon as they are ready

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 The Vaynor First School attended 95.5% 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 The Vaynor First 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 The Vaynor First School had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.1% 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, 12.5% of pupils at The Vaynor First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 2024–25 The Vaynor First School received £5,822 and spent £5,270 for each of its 437 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £155,000 (£354 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Shires Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,740 and spending £7,633 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Redditch · Worcestershire local authority: places and applications

The Vaynor First School is part of Shires Multi Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• St Luke's CofE First School Redditch
• Crabbs Cross Academy Redditch
• Webheath Academy Primary School Redditch
• St George's CofE First School and Nursery Redditch
• Astwood Bank Primary School Redditch
• Feckenham CofE Primary School Redditch
• Ridgeway Secondary School Redditch
• Studley High School Studley
• Beoley First School Redditch
• North Bromsgrove High School Bromsgrove

What is The Vaynor First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Vaynor First School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was The Vaynor First School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Vaynor First School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does The Vaynor First School have?

The Vaynor First School has 425 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Vaynor First School cover?

The Vaynor First School for pupils aged 4 to 9.

Where is The Vaynor First School?

The Vaynor First School is at Tennyson Road, Headless Cross, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 5BL.