St Chad's CofE (C) Primary School

About St Chad's CofE (C) Primary School

St Chad's CofE (C) Primary School is a Church of England primary for mixed pupils aged 3 to 11, located in Newcastle-under-Lyme within the Staffordshire local authority. Among the top-performing peers in the same LA, St John's Catholic Primary, Woodseaves CE Primary Academy, and Needwood CofE Primary all achieved the highest possible ranking score of 100, setting a strong local benchmark. St Chad's itself holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in 2023 that confirmed the school remains Good. With 270 pupils on roll against a capacity of 360, the school is not at full capacity, yet it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 admissions, receiving 55 total applications for 40 places and offering 37 first-preference places. This suggests solid local demand, particularly from families who value the school's religious character and its nursery provision for the youngest children.

Academically, St Chad's performs around the middle of the pack within its LA. In the 2023/24 KS2 results, 68% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, slightly above the LA average of 65%. However, the proportion achieving the higher standard in all three subjects was just 12%, which is modest. Looking at individual subjects, 78% met expectations in reading and writing, and 80% in maths, with average scores of 104 in both reading and maths. The school's ranking in Newcastle-under-Lyme places it 17th out of 35 schools, and nationally it sits in the 35th percentile. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is unclear how much value the school adds beyond attainment. The Ofsted breakdown from the 2014 graded inspection rated leadership and management as Good, and the previous 2009 inspection also judged overall effectiveness as Good, indicating consistent quality over time.

The school offers a range of facilities including an outdoor playground, ICT suite, library, sensory room, art studios, and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision covers athletics, football, dance, cricket, cross country, gymnastics, and rounders, while clubs include eco club, drama, book club, choir, and science club. For pupils with additional needs, the school supports moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, as well as hearing and visual impairments. With 14.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a fairly typical demographic for a state primary. Given its oversubscription but not extreme ratio, this school suits families who prioritise a Good-rated, faith-based primary with nursery provision, a broad extracurricular offer, and a location in Newcastle-under-Lyme, though those seeking top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at the higher-ranked peers in the LA.

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