Summerhill Primary Academy

Summerhill Primary Academy is a large, highly inclusive primary school within The Rivers C of E Trust where pupils feel safe, welcomed and valued. Inclusion is a significant strength: leaders identify needs early, support pupils with SEND promptly and skilfully, and use pupil premium funding effectively so that disadvantaged pupils are improving. Behaviour is well managed, bullying is rare, and pupils benefit from a broad enrichment offer and a coherent personal development programme. Safeguarding standards are met, and attendance, while still a concern, is steadily rising thanks to tenacious and sensitive work with families. Most areas of the school's work are judged to be at the expected standard, with inclusion at the strong standard. However, achievement is the main weakness. Results in national tests show that too few pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, and some pupils leave less well prepared for their next stage of education than they could be. Leaders have taken appropriate action, particularly in writing, and this is beginning to have impact in some year groups, but inconsistencies remain: errors in books are not always addressed, missed learning due to absence is not always covered, and pupils do not get enough opportunities to apply their writing skills independently. The early years is a positive start, though staff sometimes miss chances to extend children's language and learning through play. The school serves a community with well-above-average levels of free school meals and deprivation, and a large majority of pupils join at non-standard admission points. Leaders, trustees and staff share high ambitions, and the trust provides effective support and challenge. The next steps are to continue improving attendance, embed the work on foundational skills, especially writing, sharpen early years practice, and ensure pupils have sufficient time to apply their skills independently across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Inclusion is a significant strength, with early identification of needs and swift removal of barriers to learning
• Pupils with SEND, including those with profound needs, receive support from highly skilled staff
• Leaders use pupil premium funding effectively, and disadvantaged pupils' achievement is improving
• Leaders adopt a tenacious and sensitive approach to attendance, and attendance is steadily rising
• High expectations of behaviour are shared, classrooms are calm, and bullying is rare and not tolerated
• Suspensions have reduced for disadvantaged pupils through carefully considered actions
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and well sequenced, with effective vocabulary teaching
• Reading is a priority and phonics is taught well, with effective support for pupils who struggle
• Leaders have strengthened lesson structures, improving pupils' attention and learning
• A new writing scheme has led to improved outcomes for many pupils
• Teachers' subject knowledge is secure, and they check and adjust learning effectively
• New pupils joining outside normal admission points are assessed quickly and given effective support
• Children make a positive start in early years, with strong relationships and a well-resourced outdoor area
• Leaders and governors act in pupils' best interests and are driven by inclusion
• Trustees know the school well and provide effective support and challenge
• Staff feel valued and well supported, with a well-planned professional learning programme
• Parents are typically positive about the school
• Personal development is coherent and well sequenced, with a strong pastoral offer
• Pupils learn how to stay safe online and in the community
• Enrichment activities, including the 'my extraordinary experiences' initiative, broaden pupils' horizons
• Pupils benefit from leadership opportunities such as eco warriors and house captains
• Pupils have a secure understanding of fundamental British values
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture

Areas for Improvement

• Too few pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in national tests
• Some pupils are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they could be
• Pupils do not always get enough opportunities to apply writing skills independently
• There are inconsistencies in how well errors are addressed in books
• When pupils are absent, missed learning is not always covered, leaving gaps in foundational knowledge
• Pupils' knowledge is less secure in some areas of the personal development curriculum
• Staff sometimes miss opportunities to maximise learning through conversations and interactions in early years
• Attendance remains above the national average and some pupils do not attend regularly enough
• Persistent absence remains significantly above the national average

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 Summerhill Primary Academy attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.2% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Summerhill Primary Academy 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 Summerhill Primary Academy had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.8% 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, 15.8% of pupils at Summerhill Primary Academy 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 2024–25 Summerhill Primary Academy received £8,447 and spent £8,670 for each of its 745 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £536,000 (£720 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of The Rivers C of E Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,841 and spending £6,964 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 Tipton · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

Summerhill Primary Academy is part of The Rivers C of E Multi Academy Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Jubilee Park Academy Tipton
• Dudley Wood Primary School Dudley
• Heronswood Primary School Kidderminster
• Burlish Park Primary School Stourport-On-Severn
• Cutnall Green CofE Primary School Droitwich
• Wychbold First and Nursery School Droitwich
• St Peter's Droitwich CofE Academy Droitwich Spa
• Great Witley CofE Primary School Worcester
• Cranham Primary School Worcester
• North Worcester Primary School Worcester

What is Summerhill Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Summerhill Primary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Summerhill Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Summerhill Primary Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Summerhill Primary Academy have?

Summerhill Primary Academy has 778 pupils on roll.

What age range does Summerhill Primary Academy cover?

Summerhill Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Summerhill Primary Academy?

Summerhill Primary Academy is at Upper Church Lane, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 9PF.