St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School

About St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School

St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School in Staffordshire Moorlands is a Church of England primary for children aged 4 to 11, and it's a school that families clearly want to get into. With 179 pupils on roll against a capacity of 218, the school is not at full capacity, but the demand is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 35 applications for just 20 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.75. All 20 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that while it's competitive, being realistic about your first choice pays off. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 9.5%, which is below the national average for primary schools, indicating a relatively less deprived intake compared with many schools nationally. The school is led by headteacher Edward Hobson and, in its most recent Ofsted inspection, was rated Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating.

Academically, St Anne's performs well against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 70% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is above the Staffordshire local authority average of 65%. The school ranks 7th out of 19 primary schools in the Staffordshire Moorlands area, placing it in the top 37% locally, and 4267th nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 82% reached the expected standard in reading, 91% in writing, and 76% in maths. Higher attainment – reaching a higher standard – was less common, with 18% in reading, 15% in writing, and just 6% in maths. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. Ofsted's inspection confirmed that standards are being maintained, with Good ratings across the board for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a forest school, music rooms, and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports on offer include rounders, cross country, tennis, football and swimming, while clubs cover drama, science, coding and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views are overwhelmingly positive: 97% of the 38 respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, feels safe, and that the school has high expectations. This is a school that suits families who value a strong community feel, a Church of England ethos, and solid academic outcomes above the local average, and who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process.

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