Crackley Bank Primary School

Crackley Bank Primary School has been graded as 'Good' across all inspected areas, reflecting a strong overall performance. The school offers a welcoming environment where pupils feel safe, are encouraged to make friends, and generally respond well to the supportive staff. Notable strengths include effective support for pupils with special educational needs and a curriculum that successfully emphasizes early reading and mathematics. The school's leadership is commended for its visibility, commitment, and ability to foster positive relationships with families and the community.

Strengths

• Pupils are supportive, polite, and enjoy their lessons.
• Strong structured phonics programme enhancing early reading.
• Well-designed mathematics curriculum with daily practice.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Visible leadership fostering trust and positive relationships.

Areas for Improvement

• Writing standards are not as strong as reading and mathematics.
• Some subjects attempt to cover too much content hindering deep learning.

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 Crackley Bank Primary School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.8% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Crackley Bank 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 Crackley Bank Primary School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.8% 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, 15.7% of pupils at Crackley Bank Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.5% 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 Crackley Bank Primary School received £7,757 and spent £7,491 for each of its 183 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £344,000 (£1,880 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Collective Vision Trust, income was £7,093 and spending £7,352 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 Newcastle · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Crackley Bank Primary School is part of Collective Vision Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Chesterton Primary School Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• Chesterton Community Sports College Newcastle
• Churchfields Primary School Newcastle
• Bursley Academy Newcastle
• Woore Primary and Nursery School Crewe
• Cheswardine Primary and Nursery School Market Drayton
• Hinstock Primary School Market Drayton

What is Crackley Bank Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Crackley Bank Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Crackley Bank Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Crackley Bank Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Crackley Bank Primary School have?

Crackley Bank Primary School has 198 pupils on roll.

What age range does Crackley Bank Primary School cover?

Crackley Bank Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Crackley Bank Primary School?

Crackley Bank Primary School is at Blackthorn Place, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 7BE.