Almeley Primary School

About Almeley Primary School

Almeley Primary School is a small state primary in Herefordshire, County of, serving just 51 pupils aged 2 to 11. It sits at 65th out of 68 primary schools in the local authority, placing it in the bottom tier of the county's rankings. For context, the top-performing local peers are St Mary's Primary School, Dilwyn, Kimbolton St James CofE Primary School, and Eastnor Parochial Primary School. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated its overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2014. The inspection found that the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, though behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were all rated Good. With a capacity of 63, the school is not yet full, and 23.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

Academically, Almeley's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that 38% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well below the local authority average of 63%. In reading, 63% reached the expected standard and 38% achieved a higher standard, while in writing 75% met expectations and 13% reached the higher level. Maths saw 50% at the expected standard and 13% at the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 100 in maths. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 8% of all primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, and in the bottom 5% within the West Midlands region. Progress measures for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, sports hall, sensory room, outdoor playground, dining hall and a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, dance, swimming, cricket, cross country and rounders, while clubs include art, drama, choir, film club and chess. The school has a nursery provision and provides support for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, and physical disabilities. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed with 13 applications for 8 places, and all 8 first-preference applicants were offered a place. This is a small, rural school that may suit families looking for a close-knit setting with a strong early years and SEND support offer, though those prioritising academic outcomes at Key Stage 2 may want to consider the local context carefully.

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