St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre, Telford
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Telford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 22nd-highest of the 40 schools in Telford with published results, and 7,842nd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Telford and Wrekin (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre in detail
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre in its own words
In its own words: "As a church school, our Christian beliefs and values are at the heart of everything we do. We understand how important it is to be part of a flourishing community and live life in all its fullness, through the ups and downs, the twists and turns, joy, pain, elation, and sorrow."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St. Matthew’s CE (Aided) Primary School and Nursery Centre. At St. Matthew’s we aim to be an innovative and inspiring school where pupils are challenged in their thinking, strive for continuous improvement and are motivated to become life-long learners."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 76% in Telford and Wrekin and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (73% in reading, 78% in maths).
Getting a place at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre as their first choice and 57 named it as one of their preferences, for 31 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre are Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 38% reading, 38% maths); Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre (0.5 miles, Good); Muxton Primary School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 83% reading, 85% maths); and Wrockwardine Wood Infant School and Nursery (0.8 miles, Good).
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolDonnington Wood Infant School and Nursery CentreMuxton Primary SchoolWrockwardine Wood Infant School and Nursery
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 25% 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) (25%).
Who goes there
38.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 41 pupils (14.1%) received SEN support and 4 (1.4%) 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 Oakengates Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tranter Avenue, 350 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre issued 8 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from July 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Matthew's creates a warm, welcoming environment where pupils are happy and develop strong character values of respect, responsibility and resilience. The school excels at celebrating each child as an individual and building leadership skills through various roles and clubs. Pupils leave Year 6 having achieved well and are proud representatives of their school and community.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, polite and well-mannered with strong relationships between staff and families
- Personal, social and health education curriculum is effective, covering different faiths, cultures, safety and wellbeing
- Strong focus on developing pupils' leadership skills through roles like well-being champions and peer buddies
- School works effectively to improve pupil attendance by removing barriers with parental support
- Wide range of enrichment activities including sports, cooking, arts and Bible studies clubs
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum implementation is inconsistent and staff do not check pupils' learning consistently, leaving gaps in knowledge unaddressed
- Teaching of early reading is not secure - some pupils do not learn to read as fluently as they should
- Curriculum is not adapted precisely enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND
- Governance is not robust enough to challenge leaders and support rapid school improvement
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, cookery, arts, Bible studies, residential experiences in Years 5 and 6, inter-school debating events, football tournaments
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre is a warm, welcoming school where pupils are happy and well-behaved, though evidence suggests some aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the previous inspection.
At a Glance
38.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 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 remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 60% to 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.4
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
30.6
KS2
11
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre is in Telford and Wrekin; for families living there:
Apply to Telford and Wrekin for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
0 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 Telford and Wrekin is 7 (the median across 86 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 St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre
Will you get a place at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre.
- Telford and Wrekin publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Telford and Wrekin 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
99%
Near capacity
277 pupils
280 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Telford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Telford
Across Telford and Wrekin council
Places available
2,419
Applications
2,124
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Telford and Wrekin council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
291
Total Pupils
156
Boys
135
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
22.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,649
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,813
Per pupil
£1847k
Total funding
£174k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
18.8%
Persistent absence
245
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
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre
Questions parents ask about St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre
What are SATs results like at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
Of the pupils at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre's Ofsted rating?
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
No fixed boundary. When St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre is oversubscribed, Telford and Wrekin allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
Classes at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre average 25.4 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre has around 291 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
5.6% of sessions were missed at St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre in 2024/25. 18.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
Apply through Telford and Wrekin's coordinated admissions process, naming St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre 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 St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 0 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 Telford and Wrekin is 7 (the median across 86 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre?
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre is at Church Road, Donnington Wood, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 7PZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)