Penns Primary School, Sutton Coldfield

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Penns Primary School on 7 areas: 4 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve consistently well."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Pupils enjoy coming to school and are eager to learn."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Inclusion is at the heart of leaders' high aspirations for all, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have created a broad and carefully considered programme to support pupils' wider development, including personal, social and health education."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Teachers know what to teach and when to teach it."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children benefit from a successful start to their education in the early years."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Passionate leaders put the pupils' best interests at the heart of their decision-making."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further refine the curriculum design across all wider subjects to maximise pupils' opportunities for learning in all areas"; "Leaders should ensure that the early years outdoors provision is as high quality as indoors to maximise children's learning opportunities".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Where we are committed to meeting the needs of every child and their academic, social and emotional development. We firmly believe the education of every child is best achieved through close partnership with parents and carers."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, choir and book club.

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Penns Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Birmingham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 93% in reading and 100% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Penns Primary School as their first choice and 115 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Penns Primary School are Yenton Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 77% maths); Wylde Green Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 95% reading, 89% maths); Paget Primary School (0.8 miles, 63% reading, 55% maths); and Abbey Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, 72% reading, 72% maths).

Penns Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Penns Primary School (as of April 2026): 87% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 40% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (40%).

16.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 37 pupils (18.2%) received SEN support and 2 (1%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Chester Road Rail Station, about 1120 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Berwood Road (adjacent), 230 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Penns Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 234 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).

In 2024/25, Penns Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Penns Primary School are St Edmund Campion Catholic School (0.6 miles), Bishop Walsh Catholic School (1 mile) and Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls (1.6 miles).