Hillary Primary School

About Hillary Primary School

Hillary Primary School in Walsall received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in 2023, a downgrade from the Good rating it had held in its previous inspection in 2018. The school’s academic story is best told through its Key Stage 2 outcomes, where just 45% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in the most recent data — well below the Walsall local authority average of 61%. This places the school significantly behind local peers such as St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Streetly and Croft Academy, which rank among the highest-performing primaries in the borough. The Ofsted report noted that the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, though inspectors rated behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision as Good. The school has a nursery provision and caters for children aged 3 to 11, with a capacity of 708 pupils.

Despite the overall Requires Improvement rating, there are pockets of strength in the school’s provision. The early years setting was judged Good, and inspectors found that pupils generally behave well and feel safe. The school’s personal development offer was also rated Good, suggesting that pastoral care and character-building are areas of relative strength. However, the leadership and management grade of Requires Improvement indicates that the school’s senior team, led by headteacher Alison Taylor, has work to do in driving up academic standards. The school’s Progress 8 score is not available in the data, but the gap between its KS2 attainment and the local average is notable. For parents considering this school, the key question will be whether the current leadership can reverse the decline and return the school to its previous Good rating.

Hillary Primary School offers a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a forest school, music rooms, a library and a chapel. Pupils can take part in sports such as tennis, athletics, swimming and gymnastics, and there are clubs including science, art, coding and book club. The school is a mixed, non-religious state primary with no sixth form, and it does not have boarding provision. Oversubscription data is not available in the dataset, but the school’s large capacity of 708 places suggests it is a sizeable institution. For families who prioritise a school with strong pastoral care and a wide extracurricular offer, Hillary may still be a viable option, particularly if they are willing to engage with the school’s improvement journey. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Whitehall Nursery and Infant Academy, 1.3 km away, which may be an alternative for those seeking a higher Ofsted grade.

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