Norton Canes Primary Academy, Cannock
Norton Canes Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Cannock, part of Reach2 Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 16 schools in Cannock with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Norton Canes Primary Academy in detail
Norton Canes Primary Academy in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, guitar and gardening.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £5.00 per session.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Norton Canes Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 77% in Staffordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 74% in reading and 69% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Norton Canes Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Norton Canes Primary Academy as their first choice and 70 named it as one of their preferences, for 48 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Norton Canes Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Norton Canes Primary Academy are Jerome Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 94% reading, 97% maths); Heath Hayes Primary Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 71% reading, 79% maths); St Joseph & St Theresa Catholic Primary School (1.4 miles); and Gorsemoor Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths).
Norton Canes Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Jerome Primary SchoolHeath Hayes Primary AcademySt Joseph & St Theresa Catholic Primary SchoolGorsemoor Primary School
The trust
Norton Canes Primary Academy is one of 65 schools run by Reach2 Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
3.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 49 pupils (17.5%) received SEN support and 8 (2.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cannock Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Norton Canes Primary Academy (adjacent), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Norton Canes Primary Academy issued 7 suspensions, 3.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Norton Canes Primary Academy are Norton Canes High School (0.2 miles), Erasmus Darwin Academy (1.4 miles) and Chase Terrace Academy (1.6 miles).
Norton Canes High SchoolErasmus Darwin AcademyChase Terrace 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils learn to 'fly high' at Norton Canes. They demonstrate independence and resilience when faced with challenges and show a growing sense of self-belief in their abilities. Pupils feel safe because of the confidence they have that adults will help them when they need support. They learn about risks they can face in the real world and online and know what to do should they encounter difficulties.
Leaders, with the support of the trust, are successfully raising pupils' aspirations, with many pupils gaining new life experiences through the '11 Before 11' programme by the time they leave school. Sleeping under the stars, attending a residential visit to France and attending clubs that develop their talents and interests are just a few of the experiences that pupils enjoy and look forward to.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders, including the trust, show a commitment to doing their best for the families they serve. They know their community well, and parents agree that the care their children receive is helping them to thrive. There is a dedicated team of staff, eager to deliver new approaches to the curriculum, and they show a passion to lead subjects for which they hold responsibility. Recent developments to the curriculum have meant that staff are required to deliver new knowledge to deepen pupils' understanding of what they learn. The school is aware that there is ongoing work to do around further subject-specific aspects of the curriculum to ensure that all areas are delivered as intended.
The curriculum is now organised more logically, and the school makes clear the key knowledge that it wants pupils to know and remember. At the start of lessons, staff check what pupils can recall from their previous learning, and pupils are increasingly able to use this to make connections to new learning. This is helping to develop pupils' understanding.
From Ofsted's July 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 Good at its March 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
28.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 74% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 69% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
10
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Norton Canes Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Norton Canes Primary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Staffordshire
Term dates
Norton Canes Primary Academy 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.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Norton Canes Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Norton Canes Primary Academy 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)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 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 Norton Canes Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Norton Canes Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Norton Canes Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Norton Canes Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Norton Canes Primary Academy.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Norton Canes Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Norton Canes Primary Academy 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cannock
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cannock
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
20.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
280
Total Pupils
128
Boys
152
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
25.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,069
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,544
Per pupil
£1338k
Total funding
£108k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
10.4%
Persistent absence
182
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
Norton Canes Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Norton Canes Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Norton Canes Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Norton Canes Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Norton Canes Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Norton Canes Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Norton Canes Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Norton Canes Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Classes at Norton Canes Primary Academy average 26.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Norton Canes Primary Academy has around 280 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Norton Canes Primary Academy?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Norton Canes Primary Academy in 2024/25. 10.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Norton Canes Primary 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 Norton Canes Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Norton Canes Primary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Norton Canes Primary Academy?
Norton Canes Primary Academy is at School Road, Norton Canes, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 9SQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)