Kidsgrove Primary School

Kidsgrove Primary School, a smaller-than-average primary and nursery in a highly deprived area, was inspected in June 2026. It is part of Shaw Education Trust and has new leadership since the previous inspection. Safeguarding standards are met. The school's culture is a major strength: pupils feel safe, behave well, and attendance is above national averages and improving. Early years provision is particularly strong, and inclusion, leadership, governance, personal development and enrichment are all effective. Pupils are supported to take on responsibilities and develop confidence. However, achievement is the clear area needing attention. While there have been improvements in early years and key stage 1, outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in writing and mathematics have been below national averages, and some older pupils have gaps in foundational knowledge and skills. Teaching does not consistently tackle errors in handwriting, spelling and grammar, and some tasks do not stretch pupils to deepen their understanding when they are ready. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are well supported and typically achieve well from their starting points, though recent outcomes show gaps remain. Leaders have taken decisive action and are beginning to address these issues, but the impact is still at an early stage. Overall, the school has a strong inclusive ethos and much improved provision, but it needs sustained work to ensure older pupils achieve as well as they should.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• Attendance is above national averages and improving, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Pupils behave well in a calm, purposeful environment, and bullying or discrimination is rare.
• Early years provision is strong, with an ambitious curriculum and high expectations.
• Communication, language and early reading are prioritised, and phonics is taught consistently.
• Leaders have designed a broad, ambitious curriculum sequenced from the early years onwards.
• Inclusion is a strong focus, with pupils' needs identified quickly and support adapted effectively.
• Leaders and governors have a clear vision and provide effective challenge and support.
• Staff value a collaborative culture, coherent professional learning and consideration of workload.
• Personal development is well planned, including PSHE, wellbeing and enrichment opportunities.
• Pupils take part in leadership roles and enrichment, developing confidence and responsibility.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and part of a supportive school community.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement overall requires attention, particularly at key stage 2.
• Outcomes in writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have been below national averages.
• Some older pupils have gaps in foundational knowledge and skills that are not identified or addressed quickly enough.
• Teaching does not consistently correct errors in handwriting, spelling and grammar across subjects.
• Some activities do not allow pupils to deepen their knowledge and explore more complex content when ready.
• Assessment information is not always used astutely to design activities that deepen pupils' understanding.
• Not all pupils are sufficiently well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• The impact of recent actions to improve achievement is still at an early stage.

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 Kidsgrove Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Kidsgrove 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 Kidsgrove Primary School had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.9% 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, 19.9% of pupils at Kidsgrove Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Kidsgrove Primary School received £7,006 and spent £7,501 for each of its 152 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £177,000 (-£1,171 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of The Shaw Education Trust, income was £11,108 and spending £10,954 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 Stoke-On-Trent · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Kidsgrove Primary School is part of The Shaw Education Trust, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• Kidsgrove Secondary School Stoke-On-Trent
• The Orme Academy Newcastle
• Endon High School Stoke-On-Trent
• Waterside Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Blackfriars Academy Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• Coppice Academy Newcastle
• Seabridge Primary School Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• The Meadows Primary School Crewe
• Madeley High School Crewe
• The Meadows Primary Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is Kidsgrove Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kidsgrove Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Kidsgrove Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kidsgrove Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Kidsgrove Primary School have?

Kidsgrove Primary School has 156 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kidsgrove Primary School cover?

Kidsgrove Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kidsgrove Primary School?

Kidsgrove Primary School is at Gloucester Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 4DL.