Poppyfield Primary Academy

Poppyfield Primary Academy has demonstrated overall good performance in its education provision, with exceptional strengths in behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development. The school places a strong emphasis on creating a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and engaged in their learning. Parents have expressed high levels of satisfaction, reflecting the school's positive community impact and the dedication of its staff. Despite the positive environment and successful early years education, the school faces challenges in ensuring all pupils, particularly those with SEND, make optimal progress, and in defining assessment criteria for a few foundation subjects.

Strengths

• Exceptional support and nurturing for early years education.
• Impeccable pupil behaviour evident in all areas.
• Strong community engagement and initiatives led by pupils.
• High-quality phonics teaching and early reading support.
• Effective training for staff to address pupils' educational needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment not effectively used in some foundation subjects.
• Teaching adaptations for SEND pupils not always effective enough.

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 Poppyfield Primary Academy attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.9% 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 Poppyfield 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 Poppyfield Primary Academy had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Poppyfield Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% 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 Poppyfield Primary Academy received £6,382 and spent £6,112 for each of its 208 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £150,000 (£719 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Victoria Academies Trust, income was £7,711 and spending £7,574 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

Poppyfield Primary Academy is part of Victoria Academies Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Rowley Park Primary Academy Stafford
• Fibbersley Park Academy Willenhall
• Whitehall Nursery and Infant Academy Walsall
• Devonshire Junior Academy Smethwick
• Devonshire Infant Academy Smethwick
• Victoria Park Primary Smethwick
• Elm Tree Primary Academy Wednesbury
• Northfield Manor Primary Academy Birmingham
• Foley Park Primary Academy Kidderminster
• Birchen Coppice Academy Kidderminster

What is Poppyfield Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Poppyfield Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Poppyfield Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Poppyfield Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Poppyfield Primary Academy have?

Poppyfield Primary Academy has 236 pupils on roll.

What age range does Poppyfield Primary Academy cover?

Poppyfield Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Poppyfield Primary Academy?

Poppyfield Primary Academy is at Bishop Street, Hednesford, Cannock, WS12 4RY.