Great Wood Community Primary School
About Great Wood Community Primary School
Great Wood Community Primary School is a small state primary in Staffordshire Moorlands, currently teaching 105 pupils against a capacity of 177, meaning it operates at around 59% of its maximum. That spare capacity might come as a surprise given the demand signal from admissions: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 21 applications for just 12 places, with all 12 first-preference applicants offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.75. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 17.1%, which is above the national average for primary schools, suggesting a catchment that includes a fair share of families facing financial pressure. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and serves children aged 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. Its headteacher, Alex Brayford, leads a team that has clearly built a reputation locally, as the school ranks 3rd out of 19 primary schools in the Staffordshire Moorlands local authority area, placing it comfortably in the top 25% nationally.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
16 Feb 2022Latest monitoring visit (16 Feb 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 5 Jan 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
9Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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