Longford Primary Academy

About Longford Primary Academy

Longford Primary Academy sits within the Staffordshire local authority, in the Cannock Chase borough, and is one of 23 primary schools in that immediate area. According to the most recent local rankings, it places 21st out of those 23, placing it in the bottom half of Cannock Chase primaries. For context, the top-performing schools in the same local authority include St John's Catholic Primary School, Woodseaves CE Primary Academy, and Needwood CofE Primary School, all of which achieved the highest possible ranking score. Longford is a state-funded mixed primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a current roll of 276 pupils against a capacity of 414, meaning there is room to grow. The school has a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 44.6%, well above the national average, and it does not have a religious character. The headteacher is Louise Lawrence.

Academically, Longford's most recent Key Stage 2 results from the 2023/24 academic year show that 45% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the local authority average of 65%. That puts the school significantly below the LA benchmark. In individual subjects, 60% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, 55% in maths, and 73% in writing. At the higher standard, just 3% achieved the combined measure, with 14% hitting higher in reading, 10% in maths, and 8% in writing. The school's average scaled scores were 101 in reading and 100 in maths. Ofsted visited in March 2025 and upgraded the school from its previous Requires Improvement rating to Good across all inspected areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. The inspection was a graded inspection, though no overall effectiveness grade was issued.

Longford offers a broad set of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, art studios, gymnasium, ICT suite, library, and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, gymnastics, dance, athletics, swimming, rounders, and cricket, while clubs range from art and drama to gardening, film club, and coding. The school has specific SEND provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 58 parents in the 2024/25 period show 81% would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing their child is happy (90% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (92%). For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 52 applications for 23 places, with all 23 first-preference applicants offered a place. This is a school that suits families looking for a Good-rated primary with strong pastoral support and a wide range of enrichment activities, particularly those with children who have SEND needs.

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