Yew Tree Primary School

About Yew Tree Primary School

Yew Tree Primary School in Sandwell is clearly a popular choice among local families, with 81 applications for just 56 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.45. Of those applications, 53 were first-preference choices, meaning the vast majority of families who wanted a place here listed it as their top pick. The school is a state primary for mixed genders aged 3 to 11, with a nursery provision attached, and it currently has 647 pupils on roll against a capacity of 686. Headteacher Jamie Barry leads a school that has held a Good rating from Ofsted since its most recent graded inspection in October 2021, a notable improvement from the Requires Improvement judgement it received in 2019. The inspection report gave Good marks across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Academically, Yew Tree sits in the bottom half of primary schools nationally and within Sandwell, ranking 54th out of 83 schools in the local authority on the key stage 2 reading, writing and maths expected standard measure. In the 2023/24 results, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in all three subjects, which is slightly below the Sandwell local authority average of 60%. The school’s strongest individual subject at KS2 was writing, where 72% of pupils met the expected standard, followed by reading at 69% and maths at 68%. At the higher standard, 19% of pupils achieved that level in both reading and maths, but only 5% did so across all three subjects. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 102 in maths, both close to the national benchmark of 100. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds compared with similar pupils nationally.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, sensory room, gymnasium and a chapel, plus sports such as netball, gymnastics, dance, tennis and rounders. Clubs include chess, coding, film club, gardening and choir. For pupils with additional needs, Yew Tree provides support for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is high at 45.4%, well above the national average, reflecting the school’s role in a community with significant socio-economic challenges. Given its oversubscription, families living closest to the school will have the best chance of securing a place. This is a school that has turned around its Ofsted rating and is now seen as a solid, improving option for Sandwell families, particularly those who value a strong pastoral and SEND framework.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Yew Tree Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents