Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy

About Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy

Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy has received a Requires Improvement overall rating from Ofsted following its most recent inspection in January 2025, but the detail tells a more nuanced story. The school was previously rated Inadequate in 2022, so this represents a significant step forward. In fact, inspectors judged the school Good across four of the five graded categories: early years provision, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. The only area still rated Requires Improvement is the quality of education. On the headline academic metric, 48% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That is below the local authority average of 60% for Stoke-on-Trent, and places the school 46th out of 63 primary schools in the area. Nationally, it sits in the bottom half of all primary schools on this measure.

Looking more closely at the individual subject scores, reading and writing both had 66% of pupils reaching the expected standard, while maths was slightly lower at 63%. The average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 101 in maths, both close to the national benchmark of 100. However, no pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and only 10% did so in maths specifically. The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. Parent feedback is notably positive: 93% of the 40 respondents would recommend the school, and 97% agreed or strongly agreed that their child does well there. Strong majorities also felt their child is happy, safe, and that the school has high expectations. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections for personal development and behaviour, which aligns with parents' views on conduct.

Stoke Minster is a Church of England primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 47 applications for 40 places, with 37 first-preference offers made. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, as 45.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a forest school, chapel, art and music rooms, a sports hall, and playing fields. There is a wide range of clubs, from gardening and drama to coding and science club, plus sports such as swimming, cricket, and gymnastics. The school lists support for eight types of special educational needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families considering this school, the key trade-off is between improving behaviour and pastoral care versus academic outcomes that still lag the local average. The nearest outstanding-rated alternative is Co-op Academy Glebe, 1.7 km away.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents