Rowley Park Primary Academy

Rowley Park Primary Academy continues to be a good school, demonstrating a welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and enjoy learning. The school has effective leadership that sets high expectations for both staff and students, fostering a culture of hard work and respect. The curriculum has been thoughtfully developed, enabling pupils to achieve well across various subjects. However, some subject leaders are still new and require further support to effectively manage their areas, and there is a noted need to enhance pupils' understanding of different faiths and beliefs.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and supported by staff.
• High expectations are set for both staff and students.
• Teachers demonstrate clear subject knowledge and adapt teaching effectively.
• A strong emphasis is placed on developing pupils' language and vocabulary.
• Reading is prioritized with effective phonics teaching.
• There is a wide range of after-school clubs available for pupils.
• Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support and resources.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject leaders lack the opportunity to check and improve their curriculum areas.
• Pupils' knowledge of different faiths and beliefs is limited and at times confused.

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 Rowley Park Primary Academy attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.4% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Rowley Park Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Rowley Park Primary Academy had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 12.6% of pupils at Rowley Park Primary Academy 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 2024–25 Rowley Park Primary Academy received £7,456 and spent £8,194 for each of its 188 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £135,000 (£719 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Victoria Academies Trust, income was £7,711 and spending £7,574 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 Stafford · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Rowley Park Primary Academy is part of Victoria Academies Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Poppyfield Primary Academy Cannock
• Fibbersley Park Academy Willenhall
• Whitehall Nursery and Infant Academy Walsall
• Devonshire Junior Academy Smethwick
• Devonshire Infant Academy Smethwick
• Victoria Park Primary Smethwick
• Elm Tree Primary Academy Wednesbury
• Northfield Manor Primary Academy Birmingham
• Foley Park Primary Academy Kidderminster
• Birchen Coppice Academy Kidderminster

What is Rowley Park Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rowley Park Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Rowley Park Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rowley Park Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Rowley Park Primary Academy have?

Rowley Park Primary Academy has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rowley Park Primary Academy cover?

Rowley Park Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Rowley Park Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rowley Park Primary Academy?

Rowley Park Primary Academy is at Highfield Grove, Rowley Park, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST17 9RF.