Tillington Manor Primary School

Tillington Manor Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school where pupils feel happy, safe and part of a strong community. Inspectors found that leaders have established a calm and respectful environment, with positive behaviour and effective attendance strategies that have brought attendance in line with national averages. The curriculum is broad and well designed, with strong foundations in reading and mathematics, and a firm emphasis on oracy. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those who are disadvantaged, receive effective and personalised support, and the school uses additional funding well to ensure equal access to opportunities. Leadership and governance are strong, with a clear vision, robust challenge from trustees, and a firm focus on staff wellbeing. The personal development programme is a particular strength, helping pupils develop a secure understanding of safety, relationships, mental health and citizenship, and preparing them well for life in modern Britain. However, two areas require further development. In writing, some older pupils have notable gaps in spelling, punctuation and grammar, which affects their outcomes by the end of key stage 2. Leaders have recognised this and have begun to implement a revised writing curriculum, with early signs of positive impact in key stage 1. In the early years, children do not yet have enough opportunities to practise and apply their writing skills, and the delivery of the curriculum is inconsistent, with some planned activities not focusing clearly on learning intentions. This means some children are not as well prepared as they could be for Year 1. Leaders are aware of these priorities and are taking action to strengthen provision. Overall, the school is performing at the expected standard, with effective leadership and many strengths. The areas needing attention are specific and leaders have clear plans to address them. The school benefits from being part of the Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust, which provides effective support and challenge. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Leaders have created a calm, orderly and respectful environment where pupils typically behave well.
• Effective attendance strategies and strong pastoral support have brought attendance in line with national averages.
• Pupils feel safe and trust staff to resolve issues quickly; bullying is rare.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, with strong foundations in reading and mathematics.
• Phonics is taught with fidelity, and gaps are closing quickly.
• A firm emphasis on oracy supports learning and builds pupils' confidence.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils receive effective, personalised support.
• Leaders use additional funding effectively to ensure equal access to clubs and visits.
• The school's inclusive approach helps pupils settle quickly and develop a real sense of belonging.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with a clear shared vision and robust challenge.
• Staff feel valued and supported, contributing to positive morale and retention.
• The personal development programme is well-planned and supports pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Pupils develop a secure understanding of key themes like online safety, healthy relationships and mental health.
• Pupils respect diversity and protected characteristics, contributing to a tolerant community.
• Highly effective pastoral systems support pupils' emotional wellbeing.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities, including residential visits, clubs and trips.
• Recent changes to the writing curriculum are having a positive impact, particularly in key stage 1.
• Leaders work closely with families to remove barriers to attendance.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Older pupils have sizeable gaps in spelling, punctuation and grammar, leading to lower writing outcomes at the end of key stage 2.
• Early years children lack sufficient opportunities to practise and apply early writing skills across the setting.
• Inconsistent curriculum delivery in the early years reduces the overall impact of provision.
• Planned activities in early years do not always focus clearly on learning intentions, so children's thinking and curiosity are not always stimulated sufficiently.
• Focused activities in early years do not regularly allow children to practise and consolidate their skills independently.
• Leaders need to further embed the revised writing curriculum and strengthen assessment to improve spelling, punctuation and grammar outcomes by the end of key stage 2.
• Leaders need to secure consistent curriculum delivery across the early years foundation stage and strengthen enhanced provision, with a focus on frequent, purposeful writing and mathematics opportunities.

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 Tillington Manor Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Tillington Manor Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Tillington Manor Primary School had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.9% 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, 28.0% of pupils at Tillington Manor Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Tillington Manor Primary School received £7,349 and spent £7,396 for each of its 222 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £162,000 (-£729 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,200 and spending £6,904 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 Stafford · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Tillington Manor Primary School is part of Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Forest Hills Primary School Rugeley
• Berrybrook Primary School Wolverhampton
• Perry Hall Primary School Wolverhampton
• Dunstall Hill Primary School Wolverhampton
• Woodthorne Primary School Wolverhampton
• Mesty Croft Primary Wednesbury
• Sledmere Primary School Dudley
• Bird's Bush Primary School Tamworth
• Stanley Road Primary School Worcester

What is Tillington Manor Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Tillington Manor Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Tillington Manor Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Tillington Manor Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Tillington Manor Primary School have?

Tillington Manor Primary School has 214 pupils on roll.

What age range does Tillington Manor Primary School cover?

Tillington Manor Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

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

Where is Tillington Manor Primary School?

Tillington Manor Primary School is at Young Avenue, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST16 1PW.