Smallthorne Primary Academy

About Smallthorne Primary Academy

Smallthorne Primary Academy has turned a corner academically. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good overall, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019. The inspectors awarded Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That upward trajectory is backed up by the school’s Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year. Seventy per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is ten percentage points above the local authority average of 60 per cent. That puts Smallthorne 20th out of 63 primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent, placing it in the top third of the local league table. Nationally, it sits in the 31st percentile, a solid middle-ground performance that shows the school is delivering above the local norm.

Digging into the detail, the strongest subject at KS2 was maths, where 90 per cent of pupils hit the expected standard and the average scaled score reached 107. Reading was a little lower, with 77 per cent at the expected level and an average score of 104, while writing saw 80 per cent meet the benchmark. At the higher standard — the level that signals deeper understanding — 10 per cent of pupils achieved the combined threshold in reading, writing and maths. That’s a modest figure, but the school’s overall progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say how much value it adds from starting points. What is clear is that Smallthorne is comfortably above the Stoke-on-Trent average for expected standards, and its Good Ofsted rating reflects a school that has stabilised after its previous inspection. The leadership team, led by headteacher Tina Steele, has clearly driven improvement.

Smallthorne Primary Academy is a state-funded, mixed primary school for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has 216 pupils against a capacity of 236, so there is some headroom, but it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 37 applications for 22 places — an oversubscription ratio of 1.68. Eighteen first-preference families were offered a place. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage: 44.9 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities include an ICT suite, sports hall, music rooms, library, gymnasium and playing fields, and the school runs clubs such as Eco Club, drama, book club, choir and gardening. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. For families in Stoke-on-Trent looking for a Good-rated primary with improving outcomes and a broad range of activities, Smallthorne is a solid, practical choice.

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