Priory CofE Academy

Priory CofE Academy is a highly inclusive, nurturing primary school that inspectors found to be performing strongly in several key areas. Attendance and behaviour are a particular strength: pupils attend consistently well, persistent absence is low, and classrooms are calm and orderly, with pupils described as polite, kind and respectful. Inclusion is also strong, with careful assessment, thoughtful curriculum adaptation, effective use of specialist advice and provision such as The Hive enabling disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and others facing barriers to participate fully and progress well. Leadership and governance are effective and ambitious, staff feel well supported, and parents are extremely positive. Safeguarding standards are met. Personal development and wellbeing are a central strength, with extensive pastoral support, pupil leadership through the Advocates programme, a wide range of clubs and enrichment, and a coherent programme that helps pupils understand healthy lifestyles, safety and fundamental British values. The school is part of St. Barts Multi Academy Trust and includes a SEND unit, a nursery and use of alternative provision. Achievement, curriculum and teaching, and early years are graded at the expected standard. Published outcomes at the end of Year 6 are broadly in line with national averages, and disadvantaged pupils achieve above national averages in many areas. However, leaders have identified next steps: younger pupils need more opportunities to practise accurate letter and number formation and sentence structure; staff should use checks on learning more consistently to spot and correct misconceptions quickly; and achievement should become consistently above national averages, including for pupils working at a higher standard. Overall, this is a strong school with a clear capacity to improve further.

Strengths

• Consistently high attendance and low persistent absence, with effective pastoral support for families.
• Pupils behave consistently well; classrooms are calm and orderly and bullying is rare.
• Highly inclusive, nurturing environment where disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and others facing barriers progress well.
• Strong leadership and governance with a clear, ambitious direction and effective accountability.
• Staff feel listened to and supported, with professional development closely linked to school priorities.
• Extensive and coherent personal development programme, including strong pastoral care and pupil leadership.
• A wide range of clubs and enrichment activities that build confidence and talents.
• Effective early years provision with warm relationships, clear routines and strong phonics teaching.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve above national averages in many areas by the end of Key Stage 2.
• Pupils develop a clear understanding of fundamental British values and feel safe and valued.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Effective use of specialist provision such as The Hive and alternative provision.

Areas for Improvement

• Younger pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise accurate letter and number formation and sentence structure.
• Staff checks on learning are not consistently precise enough to identify and correct mistakes and misconceptions quickly.
• Pupils' achievement and outcomes are not consistently above the national average, including for pupils working at a higher standard.
• Pupils' published outcomes at the end of Year 6 are only broadly in line with national averages.
• At times, teachers' checks on pupils' understanding lack precision.

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 Priory CofE Academy attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.4% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Priory CofE 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 Priory CofE Academy had 24.7 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, 17.2% of pupils at Priory CofE Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 8 pupils.

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 Priory CofE Academy received £6,026 and spent £6,454 for each of its 423 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £47,000 (-£110 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 Stoke-On-Trent · Stoke-on-Trent local authority: places and applications

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

• Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Belgrave St Bartholomew's Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Knutton St Marys CofE Academy Newcastle Under Lyme
• Abbey Hill Academy & College Stoke-On-Trent
• Park Hall Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Meir Heath Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Weston Junior Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St John's CofE Primary Academy Newcastle
• Kingsland CofE Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Weston Infant Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is Priory CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Priory CofE Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Priory CofE Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Priory CofE Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Priory CofE Academy have?

Priory CofE Academy has 443 pupils on roll.

What age range does Priory CofE Academy cover?

Priory CofE Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Priory CofE Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Priory CofE Academy?

Priory CofE Academy is at Jubilee Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 8EF.