Horton St Michael's CofE First School, Leek
Horton St Michael's CofE First School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 9 in Leek, part of Staffordshire University Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. It was 80% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Horton St Michael's CofE First School in detail
Horton St Michael's CofE First School in its own words
In its own words: "Horton St. Michael’s is a small rural village First School and Nursery (taking children from 3 years) set in the heart of the Staffordshire Moorlands, close to Leek."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Horton St Michael's CofE First School
For September 2026 entry, 6 families put Horton St Michael's CofE First School as their first choice and 13 named it as one of their preferences, for 6 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Horton St Michael's CofE First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Horton St Michael's CofE First School are Moor First School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement); Rushton CofE First School (2.3 miles, Outstanding); Westwood First School (2.4 miles, Good); and Woodcroft Academy (2.5 miles, Good).
Moor First SchoolRushton CofE First SchoolWestwood First SchoolWoodcroft Academy
The trust
Horton St Michael's CofE First School is one of 21 schools run by Staffordshire University Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
3.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Horton St Michael's CofE First School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).
Suspensions and exclusions
Horton St Michael's CofE First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
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?
Horton St Michael's CofE First School is a small school with a big heart. There is a strong sense of community and team spirit. Staff know pupils and their families very well. One parent summed up the views of many when they described the school as 'warm, friendly and nurturing'.
The school is ambitious for all pupils. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), generally achieve well in most subjects. Pupils with SEND are well supported throughout the school. Staff are committed to ensuring that all pupils can learn the full curriculum.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Over the past year and a half, the school has undergone a period of change, with the arrival of new senior leaders. These leaders evaluate the school's strengths and areas for development accurately. As a result of this evaluation, the school has made several changes to the curriculum during this academic year. This is having a positive impact. Leaders and staff are united in working together to ensure that the curriculum is continually improving, and this will continue to be a focus moving forward.
The school has ensured that reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Children learn to read as soon as they are ready. Phonics teaching starts in Nursery, where children are exposed to songs and rhymes and learn to listen carefully for sounds. Leaders have ensured that all staff know how to teach phonics well. Pupils regularly practise reading the letters and sounds that they have learned in books that are well matched to their ability. This helps them remember their phonics knowledge and apply it when they encounter unfamiliar words. Pupils who struggle benefit from high-quality interventions and become increasingly confident and fluent readers over time. Books are used across subjects to enhance learning. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts, including those that promote their understanding of diversity.
From Ofsted's July 2024 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 Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
3.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
18.0
Avg class size
18.0
Infant (KS1)
23.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Horton St Michael's CofE First School
Term dates
Horton St Michael's CofE First School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Free school transport
Check free transport to Horton St Michael's CofE First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Horton St Michael's CofE First School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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 Horton St Michael's CofE First School
Will you get a place at Horton St Michael's CofE First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Horton St Michael's CofE First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Horton St Michael's CofE First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Horton St Michael's CofE First School.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Horton St Michael's CofE First School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Horton St Michael's CofE First School for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire 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
80%
Available places
60 pupils
75 places
15 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leek
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leek
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
16.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
54
Total Pupils
24
Boys
30
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
7.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,422
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,954
Per pupil
£483k
Total funding
£2k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
14.5%
Persistent absence
55
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Horton St Michael's CofE First School
What is Horton St Michael's CofE First School's Ofsted rating?
Horton St Michael's CofE First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
No fixed boundary. When Horton St Michael's CofE First School is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
Horton St Michael's CofE First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 75 places.
How big are the classes at Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
Classes at Horton St Michael's CofE First School average 18 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
Horton St Michael's CofE First School has around 54 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Horton St Michael's CofE First School in 2024/25. 14.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Horton St Michael's CofE First School 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.
How many road collisions happen near Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Horton St Michael's CofE First School?
Horton St Michael's CofE First School is at Horton, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 8RU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)