St Mary's CofE First Academy
About St Mary's CofE First Academy
St Mary's CofE First Academy in South Staffordshire has turned a corner. Its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in 2019, awarded the school a Good overall rating, a clear improvement on the Requires Improvement judgement it received in 2016. That upward trajectory was confirmed in an ungraded inspection in November 2023, which found the school remains Good, albeit with some concerns noted. The 2019 inspection gave top marks of Good for both leadership and management and the early years provision, with the overall effectiveness matching that rating. For a small primary with just 88 pupils on roll, this consistency matters. The school serves a Church of England community and takes children from age 3 up to 9, with a nursery on site. The headteacher, Rod Dickson, leads a setting that has clearly addressed earlier weaknesses and is now operating at a solid standard, though the most recent ungraded visit suggests there is still work to do.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
7 Nov 2023Latest monitoring visit (7 Nov 2023): School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next
Source: Ofsted, 21 Jul 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: st-marys-wheatonaston.staffs.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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