Croft Academy, Walsall
Croft Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Walsall, part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 25th-highest of the 51 schools in Walsall with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Walsall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Croft Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at Croft Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Walsall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 89% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Croft Academy
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put Croft Academy as their first choice and 52 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Croft Academy are St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Walsall (0.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 72% maths); Birchills Church of England Community Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 53% reading, 42% maths); North Walsall Primary Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 73% maths); and Butts Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 81% maths).
Croft Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, WalsallBirchills Church of England Community AcademyNorth Walsall Primary AcademyButts Primary School
The trust
Croft Academy is one of 37 schools run by The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Croft Academy (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
62.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 58.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (41%), Black (22%) and White British (16%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Walsall Rail Station, about 970 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hospital Street (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Croft Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 695 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Walsall (297), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Croft Academy issued 3 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Croft Academy are Queen Mary's High School (0.6 miles), Walsall Studio School (0.8 miles), Blue Coat Church of England Academy (1 mile) and West Walsall E-ACT Academy (1.1 miles).
Queen Mary's High SchoolWalsall Studio SchoolBlue Coat Church of England AcademyWest Walsall E-ACT Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils feel proud to be members of Croft Academy. They show respectful behaviour and are responsible for making their school a nice place to attend. Kind and caring relationships are commonplace. Pupils know that if they have worries or concerns, trusted adults will be there to help them.
Pupils achieve well because the school has high expectations for all to be successful. They are increasingly able to read, write and solve mathematical problems independently. Pupils talk excitedly about the new things they learn and are eager to demonstrate their understanding. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported and enjoy the same opportunities that all others receive.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
A new leadership team, supported by a dedicated team of staff, has improved all aspects of this school's provision. In partnership with the trust, the team has successfully developed the school's curriculum. Staff receive high-quality training and use it to improve how they teach and what pupils learn. Staff display a 'can-do' attitude, determined to do their best for the pupils they serve.
Many subjects now include learning that builds on what pupils know and can do. In most subjects, pupils can explain how prior knowledge supports them with their current learning. However, in a few subjects, the school has only recently made changes to the curriculum. This means that the new knowledge and skills it intends pupils to learn are not yet improving what pupils know and can do.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its April 2022 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
62.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 89% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 89% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.0
Avg class size
25.5
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Croft Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Croft Academy.
- Explore Learning Walsall730m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Croft Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Walsall's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Croft Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Croft Academy is in Walsall; for families living there:
Apply to Walsall for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 49
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 42 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 9 in a vehicle or otherwise.
16 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Croft Academy
Will you get a place at Croft Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Croft Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Croft Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Croft Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Walsall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Croft Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Walsall got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
197 pupils
210 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Walsall
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Walsall
Across Walsall council
Places available
3,855
Applications
3,340
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Walsall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
17.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
246
Total Pupils
122
Boys
124
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,861
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,714
Per pupil
£1631k
Total funding
£192k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
14.1%
Persistent absence
191
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Croft Academy
What are SATs results like at Croft Academy?
Of the pupils at Croft Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is Croft Academy's Ofsted rating?
Croft Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Croft Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Croft Academy is oversubscribed, Walsall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Croft Academy?
Croft Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Croft Academy?
Classes at Croft Academy average 24 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Croft Academy?
Croft Academy has around 246 pupils on roll. 63% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Croft Academy?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Croft Academy in 2024/25. 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Croft Academy?
Apply through Walsall's coordinated admissions process, naming Croft Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Croft Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Croft Academy: Explore Learning Walsall (730m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Croft Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 42 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 9 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Croft Academy?
Croft Academy is at Croft Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 8JE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)