St Paul's CofE (C) Primary School

About St Paul's CofE (C) Primary School

St Paul's CofE (C) Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent received a Requires Improvement overall rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in October 2024, though the inspection team did not issue a final overall effectiveness grade. The school's most telling academic metric is its Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard attainment: just 31% of pupils reached this benchmark in 2023/24, compared with a local authority average of 60%. That places the school 60th out of 63 primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent, and in the bottom 50% nationally. Broken down by subject, 56% met the expected standard in reading, 54% in maths, but only 36% in writing. At the higher standard, the figures are even starker: 15% in reading, 8% in writing, and just 3% in maths. No pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects.

The school's Ofsted report highlights some strengths alongside the academic concerns. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated Good in the 2024 inspection, a notable improvement from the previous 2022 inspection where leadership and management was also Requires Improvement. The early years provision remains Requires Improvement, however. Parent feedback is largely positive: 89% of respondents would recommend the school, and 100% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. Strong majorities also felt their child does well (89%), that the school has high expectations (89%), and that there is a good range of subjects (95%). However, 16% disagreed that bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively, and 21% disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly, suggesting some communication gaps.

St Paul's is a Church of England primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It has capacity for 345 pupils but currently enrols 265, so there is some room. For 2025/26 entry, the school was oversubscribed with 26 applications for 23 places, though 21 of those were first-preference offers. Facilities include a gymnasium, library, sensory room, chapel, and dedicated art and music spaces. Sports on offer include football, cricket, rounders, cross country and dance, while clubs include coding, chess and choir. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. For families prioritising a supportive, community-focused environment with strong pastoral care, St Paul's may be a good fit, though academic outcomes are significantly below the local average and the school is still working through its improvement journey.

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