Poppyfield Primary Academy, Cannock
Poppyfield Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cannock, part of Victoria Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. For 2026 entry it had 1.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was 85% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- 1.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Poppyfield Primary Academy in detail
Getting a place at Poppyfield Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Poppyfield Primary Academy as their first choice and 143 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 17 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Poppyfield Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Poppyfield Primary Academy are Chadsmoor Community Infants and Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good); West Hill Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles); and Chadsmoor CofE (VC) Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 81% reading, 78% maths).
Chadsmoor Community Infants and Nursery SchoolWest Hill Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolChadsmoor CofE (VC) Junior School
The trust
Poppyfield Primary Academy is one of 11 schools run by Victoria Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
14.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (92%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 20 pupils (8.5%) received SEN support and 9 (3.8%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hednesford Rail Station, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stephenson Way (adjacent), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 224 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Poppyfield Primary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Poppyfield Primary Academy are Staffordshire University Academy (0.5 miles), Kingsmead School (0.6 miles), Cannock Chase High School (1.2 miles) and Cardinal Griffin Catholic College (1.5 miles).
Staffordshire University AcademyKingsmead SchoolCannock Chase High SchoolCardinal Griffin Catholic College
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Poppyfield Primary Academy
Term dates
Poppyfield Primary Academy is a free 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Poppyfield Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Poppyfield 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 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 Poppyfield Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Poppyfield Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Poppyfield Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Poppyfield Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Poppyfield Primary Academy.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Poppyfield Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Poppyfield Primary Academy for 2020 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
85%
Available places
179 pupils
210 places
31 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: 1.6 first choices per place
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
12.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
236
Total Pupils
126
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
21.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,802
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,234
Per pupil
£1208k
Total funding
£35k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
7.9%
Persistent absence
152
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
Poppyfield Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Poppyfield Primary Academy
What is Poppyfield Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Poppyfield Primary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024.
What is the catchment area for Poppyfield Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Poppyfield 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 Poppyfield Primary Academy?
Poppyfield Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Poppyfield Primary Academy?
Classes at Poppyfield Primary Academy average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Poppyfield Primary Academy?
Poppyfield Primary Academy has around 236 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Poppyfield Primary Academy?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Poppyfield Primary Academy in 2024/25. 7.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Poppyfield Primary Academy?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Poppyfield 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.
How many road collisions happen near Poppyfield Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 Poppyfield Primary Academy?
Poppyfield Primary Academy is at Bishop Street, Hednesford, Cannock, WS12 4RY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)