Longford Primary Academy

Longford Primary Academy is a happy, harmonious school where pupils feel safe and want to do well. Inspectors found strong relationships with families, calm and respectful classrooms, and high expectations for behaviour and learning. The school is ambitious and has revised its curriculum so pupils know and remember more, though published key stage 2 outcomes do not yet reflect that ambition. It is part of St Bart’s Multi Academy Trust, and this was a graded inspection following a previous requires improvement judgement; no overall effectiveness grade is given under current arrangements. Strengths include a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on prior learning and is adapted for pupils with SEND and those at early stages of English, a strong early reading culture with well-trained staff, and good wider development through responsibilities and enrichment. Safeguarding is effective, governance and trust oversight are effective, and staff feel supported. Concerns remain: some key stage 2 pupils who are not yet fluent readers do not get timely, precise support; in some subjects, pupils who have already mastered content are not given enough opportunity to deepen and apply understanding; and persistent absence remains too high for some pupils despite the school’s focus. The school should sharpen reading support, extend learning for the most secure pupils, and strengthen attendance strategies.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and know how to stay safe.
• Strong relationships with pupils and families create a harmonious school community.
• The revised curriculum is ambitious and helps pupils know and remember more.
• The curriculum builds on prior learning and gives pupils opportunities to revisit knowledge.
• Curriculum adaptation meets the needs of pupils with SEND and those at early stages of English.
• A strong reading culture is supported by rigorous early reading, high-quality training and ongoing coaching.
• High expectations and established routines lead to calm, respectful classrooms.
• Pupils take pride in responsibilities such as school councillors, play leaders, prefects, eco-warriors and peer mentors.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave kindly and considerately towards one another.
• Governors and trustees understand their responsibilities and provide appropriate challenge and support.
• Staff are positive about working at the school and feel supported as part of a team.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some key stage 2 pupils who are still learning to read do not receive precise, timely and well-matched support to improve fluency.
• In some subjects, pupils who have already mastered the curriculum are not given enough opportunity to deepen and apply their understanding in different contexts.
• The school’s attendance strategies are not yet reducing absence for some persistently absent pupils.
• Published key stage 2 outcomes do not yet reflect the school’s ambition for pupils.

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 Longford Primary Academy attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.5% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Longford 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 Longford Primary Academy had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.0% 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, 18.9% of pupils at Longford Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% 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 Longford Primary Academy received £7,127 and spent £7,340 for each of its 276 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £152,000 (£549 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of St Bart'S Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,493 and spending £7,753 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 Cannock · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Longford Primary Academy is part of St Bart'S Multi Academy Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Hazel Slade Primary Academy Cannock
• Meir Heath Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Belgrave St Bartholomew's Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Abbey Hill Academy & College Stoke-On-Trent
• Priory CofE Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Weston Junior Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Park Hall Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Weston Infant Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Kingsland CofE Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is Longford Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Longford Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Longford Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Longford Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Longford Primary Academy have?

Longford Primary Academy has 265 pupils on roll.

What age range does Longford Primary Academy cover?

Longford Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Longford Primary Academy?

Longford Primary Academy is at Ascot Drive, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 1PD.