Story Wood School

Story Wood School is a welcoming, inclusive primary where pupils are proud of their school and behave exceptionally well. This was its first section 5 inspection; it converted to academy status and joined the Robin Hood Multi Academy Trust in September 2024, and under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. Inspectors found a strong learning culture, with firm foundations in Nursery and Reception and highly effective provision in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, are well supported and achieve well by the end of key stage 2. Personal development and leadership are particular strengths. Pupils benefit from ambitious, inclusive experiences that build confidence, independence and aspiration, and staff provide strong pastoral care. Reading is promoted widely and extra support helps pupils keep up. The trust and local governing body provide strong support and challenge, staff feel well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is the wider curriculum. In some foundation subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to link new learning to what they have studied before, which limits depth of understanding and recall. Attendance is generally good, and the school is working effectively to reduce absence for a small number of pupils.

Strengths

• Exceptionally positive pupil behaviour and attitudes to learning
• Strong reading provision, including early phonics and targeted support
• Highly effective mathematics curriculum and teaching
• High expectations and strong achievement for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Highly effective SEND provision with well-adapted curriculum
• Outstanding personal development with wide-ranging enriching experiences
• Strong pastoral support and caring relationships
• Effective leadership, trust support and staff development
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Good early years foundations in Nursery and Reception

Areas for Improvement

• In some foundation subjects, pupils have too few opportunities to connect new learning with prior learning, limiting depth and recall.

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 Story Wood School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% 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, 6.1% of pupils at Story Wood 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 Story Wood School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 39.7% 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, 19.6% of pupils at Story Wood School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.9% 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Birmingham · Birmingham local authority: places and applications

Story Wood School is part of Robin Hood Multi Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Yenton Primary School Birmingham
• Birches Green Primary School Birmingham
• Yorkswood Primary School Birmingham
• Cedars Academy Birmingham
• Ulverley School Solihull
• Robin Hood Academy Birmingham
• Broadmeadow Infant School Birmingham
• Broadmeadow Junior School Birmingham

What is Story Wood School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Story Wood School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Story Wood School last inspected by Ofsted?

Story Wood School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Story Wood School have?

Story Wood School has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does Story Wood School cover?

Story Wood School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Story Wood School?

Story Wood School is at Hastings Road, Perry Common, Birmingham, West Midlands, B23 5AJ.