Priory Primary School, Dudley
Priory Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Dudley, part of Hales Valley Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 23 schools in Dudley with published results, and 13,208th of 14,452 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dudley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Priory Primary School in detail
Priory Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Priory Primary School is a vibrant and energetic school in central Dudley with over 550 amazing pupils! Priory first opened in 1930 and nearly 100 years later still serves the local community and its children. The Priory team are dedicated and strive to deliver a creative and stimulating curriculum that engages and excites our pupils to reach their full potential."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and choir.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils at Priory Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 75% in Dudley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 68% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Priory Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Priory Primary School as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 54 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 Priory Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Priory Primary School are Wrens Nest Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 78% maths); Jesson's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles, 65% reading, 75% maths); Foxyards Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); and Milking Bank Primary School (1 mile, Good, 79% reading, 74% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Priory Primary School.
Wrens Nest Primary SchoolJesson's Church of England Primary SchoolFoxyards Primary SchoolMilking Bank Primary School
The trust
Priory Primary School is one of 7 schools run by Hales Valley Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Priory Primary School (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
41.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Priory Primary School has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Dudley Castle (West Midlands Metro), about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Laurel Road (before), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Priory Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Priory Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Priory Primary School are St James Academy (0.4 miles), Bishop Milner Catholic College (0.5 miles), Pegasus Academy (1.2 miles) and Beacon Hill Academy (1.3 miles).
St James AcademyBishop Milner Catholic CollegePegasus AcademyBeacon Hill 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Priory Primary School is a happy school, which serves a richly diverse community. There are warm, nurturing and respectful relationships between staff and pupils. New pupils, whenever they join the school, quickly make friends. Staff work hard to get to know their pupils and offer the right support at the right time.
All pupils, including the youngest ones, behave well in and out of lessons. Pupils know and follow the school rules of 'Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe'.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
From nursery through to Year 6, the school has given clear thought to what it wants pupils to learn. An ambitious curriculum is in place. This includes for those pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are assessed as soon as they join the school in order to identify any unmet special needs.
Children starting in the nursery are well supported to settle into school life. Parents value the positive relationship they build with nursery staff. This has reduced the anxiety of many parents who worry about their child starting school. Early years staff have rightly prioritised children's social, emotional and communication skills. Children get to explore a wide variety of interesting activities that help them to do this. Focused adult support then helps build children's knowledge across all of the seven areas of learning in the early years.
From Ofsted's October 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 Requires Improvement at its May 2022 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
41.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 68% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 64% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 68% to 51% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.8
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
24
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Priory Primary School
Term dates
Priory Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Dudley's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Priory Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Priory Primary School is in Dudley; for families living there:
- How to apply: Apply for Education Travel Support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Dudley is 18 (the median across 118 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 Priory Primary School
Will you get a place at Priory Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Priory Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Priory Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Priory Primary School.
- Dudley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Priory Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Priory Primary School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Dudley 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
80%
Available places
502 pupils
630 places
128 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dudley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dudley
Across Dudley council
Places available
3,812
Applications
3,314
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All primary applications across Dudley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
64
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
16.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Priory Primary School has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
547
Total Pupils
256
Boys
291
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
23.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,088
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,849
Per pupil
£3356k
Total funding
£342k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
28.3%
Persistent absence
460
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
Questions parents ask about Priory Primary School
What are SATs results like at Priory Primary School?
Of the pupils at Priory Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 58% reached the expected standard in reading and 58% did so in maths.
What is Priory Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Priory Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Priory Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Priory Primary School is oversubscribed, Dudley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Priory Primary School?
Priory Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Priory Primary School?
Classes at Priory Primary School average 22.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Priory Primary School?
Priory Primary School has around 547 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Priory Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Priory Primary School has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Priory Primary School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Priory Primary School in 2024/25. 28.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Priory Primary School?
Apply through Dudley's coordinated admissions process, naming Priory 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.
How many road collisions happen near Priory Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Dudley is 18 (the median across 118 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Priory Primary School?
Priory Primary School is at Limes Road, Priory Estate, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 4AQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)