Moor First School, Stoke-on-Trent
Moor First School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Stoke-on-Trent, part of Biddulph Schools Partnership Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. It was 58% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Moor First School in detail
Moor First School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics, dance, film and cadets.
The school runs after-school care.
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Moor First School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Moor First School as their first choice and 22 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Moor First School are Oxhey First School (0.8 miles, Outstanding); Squirrel Hayes First School (1.4 miles, Good); Kingsfield First School (1.5 miles, Good); and Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy (1.6 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 83% maths).
Oxhey First SchoolSquirrel Hayes First SchoolKingsfield First SchoolOur Lady of Grace Catholic Academy
The trust
Moor First School is one of 2 schools run by Biddulph Schools Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Moor First School (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Who goes there
13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 8 pupils (13.8%) received SEN support and 1 (1.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Staffing
Moor 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Congleton Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rose & Crown PH (opposite), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).
Suspensions and exclusions
Moor First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Moor First School are Woodhouse Academy (1 mile) and Biddulph High School (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Moor First School provides a warm, welcoming environment where children thrive academically and personally. The school prioritises reading brilliantly, with consistent phonics teaching and carefully matched books that help children develop a genuine love of reading. Your child will benefit from a well-planned curriculum, strong leadership, and excellent support if they have additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching and reading support with a diverse range of engaging texts that develop a love of reading
- Well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum with clearly identified key knowledge and skills across mixed-age classes
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to succeed and learn the same knowledge as their peers
- Excellent early years provision where children develop confidence and effective learning behaviours
- Positive school culture with good behaviour, attendance focus, and harmonious relationships
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent implementation of the 'I do, we do, you do' teaching approach across the curriculum, leading to variation in work quality and pupil learning
- Handwriting and letter formation not taught consistently, affecting pupils' accurate recording of knowledge and skills
- Writing skills development needs greater support compared to the strong reading programme
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture and procedures in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Arts and crafts club, athletics club, gardening club, play leaders, school counsellors, after-school clubs
Moor First School is a welcoming school where pupils enjoy strong relationships with staff and each other, based on values of respect and honesty. The school is highly ambitious for pupils' achievement with a well-designed curriculum that engages learners from early years through Year 4.
At a Glance
13.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
19.3
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Moor First School
Term dates
Moor First School is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Moor First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Moor 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 Moor First School
Will you get a place at Moor First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Moor First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Moor First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Moor First School.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Moor First School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Moor First School for 2014 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
58%
Available places
63 pupils
108 places
45 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Stoke-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stoke-on-Trent
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
15.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
58
Total Pupils
22
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
8.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,054
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,446
Per pupil
£456k
Total funding
£8k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
3.3%
Persistent absence
61
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
Moor First School
Questions parents ask about Moor First School
What is Moor First School's Ofsted rating?
Moor First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Moor First School?
No fixed boundary. When Moor 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 Moor First School?
Moor First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 58% of its 108 places.
How big are the classes at Moor First School?
Classes at Moor First School average 19.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Moor First School?
Moor First School has around 58 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Moor First School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Moor First School in 2024/25. 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Moor First School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Moor 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 Moor 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 Moor First School?
Moor First School is at School Lane, Biddulph Moor, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST8 7HR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)