Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School, Market Drayton
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Market Drayton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 10 schools in Market Drayton with published results, and 11,322nd of 14,452 across England. It was 60% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Shropshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School in detail
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, hockey, cricket, tennis, athletics, cross-country, dance, drama and cooking.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Shropshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School are St Mary's CofE Primary School (1.6 miles); Longlands Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 81% reading, 61% maths); Adderley CofE Primary School (2.8 miles, Outstanding); and Woore Primary and Nursery School (3 miles).
St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolLonglands Primary SchoolAdderley CofE Primary SchoolWoore Primary and Nursery School
Who goes there
12% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 13 pupils (17.3%) received SEN support and 6 (8%) 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.
Staffing
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10).
Suspensions and exclusions
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
12.0%
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 declined from 79% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 47% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.3
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School
Term dates
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Shropshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School is in Shropshire; for families living there:
Apply to Shropshire 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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 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-in-Hales CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Shropshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Shropshire 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
60%
Available places
63 pupils
105 places
42 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Market Drayton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Market Drayton
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,420
Applications
2,582
Got 1st preference
97.4%
Got preferred school
99.8%
All primary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
25.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
75
Total Pupils
30
Boys
45
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,820
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,736
Per pupil
£526k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
3.8%
Persistent absence
52
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Shropshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 60% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
Classes at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School average 19.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School has around 75 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 3.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
Apply through Shropshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary 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.
What are Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School's term dates?
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Shropshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary 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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School?
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School is at Main Road, Norton-in-Hales, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 4AT.
Sources: Shropshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)