Sun Academy Bradwell
77%
Capacity
161
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Sun Academy Bradwell
Sun Academy Bradwell is a primary school in Newcastle-under-Lyme that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 36 applications for just 17 places, giving it an oversubscription ratio of 2.12. Every one of those places went to a first-preference applicant, which suggests families who put it top of their list tend to get in. The school is a state-funded mixed primary for ages 3 to 11, with a nursery on site, and is led by headteacher Sara Bloor. It currently has 161 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, so there is some physical room to grow. Just over a third of pupils (35.4%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and gives a sense of the community it serves.
Academically, the school sits in the middle of the pack locally. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 68% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, slightly above the Staffordshire local authority average of 65%. That places Sun Academy Bradwell 18th out of 35 primary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and in the top 50% nationally. Where it really stands out is in its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in February 2024. The school was rated Good overall, but both leadership and management and early years provision were judged Outstanding. That’s a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2015, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The ungraded inspection confirmed the school remains Good, so the trajectory is clearly positive.
The school offers a decent range of facilities for its size, including a library, ICT suite, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms and a forest school. Sports on offer include cricket, swimming, netball and gymnastics, while clubs cover gardening, science, eco and coding. For children with additional needs, the school has SEND provision for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong early years rating and nursery provision, this could be a good fit for families looking for a solid, improving local primary that’s in genuine demand. The oversubscription means you’ll want to make it your first choice if you’re serious about a place.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Cauldon Avenue, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 8JN |
| Headteacher | Sara Bloor |
| Local Authority | Staffordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 161 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 35.4% |
| School Capacity | 161 / 210 (77% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
21 Feb 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (21 Feb 2024): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 11 Sept 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (68%)
4945th of 13,686
Nationally
478th of 1,378
In West Midlands
18th of 35
In Newcastle-under-Lyme
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
68%
Expected Standard
6%
Higher Standard
'22/23
63%
'23/24
68%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed17
36
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
17 families put this school as their 1st choice (47% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British81.4%
- Asian6.1%
- Mixed3.7%
- White (other)3.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
8
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sun Academy Bradwell
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Cauldon Avenue, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 8JN
Cauldon Avenue, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 8JN
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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