Needwood CofE Primary School

Needwood CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust, with three mixed-age classes. This was its first section 5 inspection since becoming an academy, although its predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding. Inspectors found the school performing exceptionally strongly across all graded areas, with no overall effectiveness grade awarded because of the post-September 2024 inspection framework. Pupils are described as flourishing in a nurturing, inclusive community where high expectations for behaviour and achievement are met. The curriculum is ambitious and carefully planned, reading is a particular strength, and pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported. Personal development and character education are exceptional, with pupils involved in charity, community work and peer support. Leadership, governance and safeguarding are all effective. The report identifies no areas for improvement. Staff know pupils well, early years children build trusted relationships, and older pupils help younger ones, creating a strong sense of belonging. Parents, staff and pupils are positive about the school, and pupils leave Year 6 as confident readers prepared for secondary school.

Strengths

• High expectations for behaviour and achievement are consistently met
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and show high levels of self-control
• Strong, positive relationships exist between pupils and staff and across age groups
• The curriculum is ambitious, meticulously planned and well sequenced
• SEND is accurately identified, assessed and supported through pupil passports and bespoke training
• Reading is taught expertly, with effective support for pupils who struggle
• Personal development and character education are exceptional
• Pupils take part in charity, community and peer-support activities
• Leadership at all levels is strong, with effective governance and trust collaboration
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Early years provision builds trusted relationships and a strong sense of belonging

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 Needwood CofE Primary School attended 97.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.5% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Needwood CofE 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 Needwood CofE Primary School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% 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, 12.0% of pupils at Needwood CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Needwood CofE Primary School received £8,530 and spent £9,077 for each of its 73 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £173,000 (£2,374 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of John Taylor Mat, income was £7,398 and spending £7,462 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 Burton-On-Trent · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Needwood CofE Primary School is part of John Taylor Mat, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• All Saints CofE (C) Primary School Burton-On-Trent
• Yoxall St Peter's CofE Primary School Burton-On-Trent
• The Mosley Academy Burton-On-Trent
• John Taylor Free School Burton-On-Trent
• John Taylor High School Burton-On-Trent
• Branston Locks Primary and Nursery School Burton-On-Trent
• Thomas Russell Infants School Burton-On-Trent
• Shobnall Primary & Nursery School Burton-On-Trent
• Rykneld Primary School Burton-On-Trent
• Rugeley John Taylor Rugeley

What is Needwood CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Needwood CofE Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Needwood CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Needwood CofE Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Needwood CofE Primary School have?

Needwood CofE Primary School has 75 pupils on roll.

What age range does Needwood CofE Primary School cover?

Needwood CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Needwood CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Needwood CofE Primary School?

Needwood CofE Primary School is at Yoxall Road, Newborough, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE13 8SU.