Star Academy, Sandyford

About Star Academy, Sandyford

Star Academy, Sandyford, a state primary in Stoke-on-Trent, sits well below the local authority average for its key stage 2 headline metric. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 60%, Star Academy’s figure is just 43%. This places the school 56th out of 71 similar primaries in the borough, firmly in the bottom half of the local rankings. The gap is significant, and it’s the first thing that stands out when you look at the data. However, the picture is more nuanced than a single headline number suggests. The school has a very high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 44.6%, well above the national average, which often correlates with lower raw attainment scores. The school’s ranking percentile of 88.9% nationally means it outperforms only about 11% of primaries on this measure, so parents should be aware that academic results here are not the school’s strongest suit.

Digging into the individual subject results from the 2023/24 key stage 2 tests, the picture is mixed. In reading and maths, 71% of pupils met the expected standard in each subject, which is a solid showing. Writing was slightly lower at 67%. The proportion reaching the higher standard in any of the three subjects was just 14%, which is low. The average scaled scores for reading and maths both sit at 102, exactly the national average, suggesting that while most children are hitting the expected level, very few are exceeding it. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022 rated it Good overall, with all inspected categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all receiving a Good rating. This is a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. The early years provision also improved from a Requires Improvement to a Good rating in the same period.

Star Academy is a smaller than average primary with 176 pupils against a capacity of 195, so it is not oversubscribed. The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, library, ICT suite, playing fields and a chapel. Clubs include gardening, coding, chess and eco club, and sports on offer are gymnastics, cross country, tennis and netball. The school has a strong SEND provision, with support listed for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. For families whose children have these additional needs, the school’s dedicated support may be a significant draw. The nearest outstanding-rated primary is St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, 1.6 km away. This school would suit parents who prioritise a supportive, inclusive environment with strong pastoral and SEND resources over top-tier academic results, and who value a school that has demonstrably improved its Ofsted rating in recent years.

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