Short Heath Junior School, Willenhall

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 711

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~340m)Possible (~486m)Unlikely (~632m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Cathy Draper
Pupils:305 / 330 capacity
LA:Walsall
Phone:01902368499
Address:Pennine Way, Willenhall, WV12 4DS
Federation:Short Heath Federation
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 29 November 2022View full report
URN:104188
UKPRN:10071478
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Wolverhampton North East
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Short Heath Junior School has made impressive progress in mathematics and created a safe, positive school environment where pupils are polite and well-behaved. The school's leadership team is actively tackling weaker teaching and has successfully introduced behaviour strategies that have significantly reduced poor behaviour. The school is also effectively supporting vulnerable pupils and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to close achievement gaps.

Key Strengths

  • Rapid improvements in mathematics progress through focused teaching of problem-solving skills
  • Good behaviour and safety with effective behaviour management strategies
  • Strong leadership from the executive headteacher and head of school who are tackling weaker teaching
  • Effective support programmes helping vulnerable pupils and those eligible for pupil premium to make good progress
  • Teaching assistants providing tailored support to pupils with special educational needs

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent teaching quality across the school with lessons moving too slowly and teacher introductions being too long
  • Weak phonics teaching leading to inconsistent reading instruction and poor progress in reading
  • Limited opportunities for pupils to practise writing skills across different subjects
  • Variable marking quality that doesn't involve pupils in reflecting on their improvements
  • Teachers not setting work at the right difficulty level for all pupils

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - pupils feel safe in school and know how to manage risks and stay safe online.

Extracurricular Activities

Breakfast club, after-school club

Short Heath Junior School requires improvement. While the school has made rapid progress in mathematics and has good behaviour and safety, pupils' achievement in English is not yet good and the quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school.

At a Glance

51.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+1ppMaths-3ppWriting-28pp

Reading has remained stable at around 61%. Maths has remained stable at around 60%. Writing has declined from 73% to 45%.

Class Sizes

25.8

Avg class size

25.8

KS2

13

Total classes

4 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Short Heath Junior School

From Short Heath Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

92%

Near capacity

305 pupils

330 capacity

25 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Willenhall

Low pressure
New homes approved:541
Projected new pupils:135

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Willenhall

Admissions Demand - Walsall

Low demand0.84x oversubscription

Places available

3,937

Applications

3,292

Got 1st preference

95.4%

Got preferred school

98.9%

Primary admissions across Walsall (2025/26)

Inspection History(12)

29 November 2022
2 April 2019
10 May 2017
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

9.2399%

Overall absence

30.32787%

Persistent absence

366

Enrolments

Authorised5.35924%
Unauthorised3.88066%
Persistent (10%+)30.32787%
Severe (50%+)2.73224%

Absence trend

4.22788%
18/19
6.40873%
20/21
9.10673%
21/22
8.62345%
22/23
8.70403%
23/24
9.2399%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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