St Matthews Church of England Academy

About St Matthews Church of England Academy

St Matthews Church of England Academy is a small primary school in Stoke-on-Trent that clearly appeals to local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 22 applications for just 10 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.2, and all eight first-preference applicants were offered a spot. This level of demand suggests parents who know the school are keen to get their children in. The school is rated Good by Ofsted, a rating it has held consistently across its two most recent inspections, with the latest ungraded inspection in 2021 confirming it remains Good. The school serves a community with 19% of pupils eligible for free school meals, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three, making it a practical choice for families looking for continuity from early years through to Year 6.

Academically, St Matthews delivers mixed results. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 44% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the local authority average of 60%. The school ranks 53rd out of 63 primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent on this measure, placing it in the bottom half locally and the bottom 50% nationally. However, individual subject scores tell a slightly different story: 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in both reading and writing, and the average reading score was 102, while maths averaged 100. No pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing or the combined measure, though 22% did so in maths. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school sits on a site with a library, sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields and a chapel, and offers a range of clubs including coding, choir, science club, eco club and book club. Sports on offer include rounders, dance, cross country and football. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disability. With only 84 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, there is some spare capacity despite oversubscription. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England setting, a small community feel, and a broad range of extracurricular activities, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit below the local average.

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