St Michael's CofE (A) First School, Stafford

Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 39

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.1km)Unlikely (~2.8km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Zoe Cahalan
Pupils:148 / 150 capacity
LA:Staffordshire
Phone:01785712344
Address:Market Place, Penkridge, Stafford, ST19 5DJ
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 7 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 3 February 2026View full report
URN:124343
UKPRN:10078752
Diocese:Diocese of Lichfield
Constituency:Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Michael's creates a calm, friendly environment where every child feels noticed and supported. Teachers build strong relationships with pupils and deliver clear, step-by-step teaching that helps children progress steadily, especially in reading and maths. The school goes beyond academics, helping pupils develop confidence, kindness and respect through enrichment activities, community involvement and strong pastoral care.

Key Strengths

  • Strong progress in reading and mathematics with clear, step-by-step teaching
  • Effective safeguarding culture where all staff take responsibility and pupils feel safe
  • Excellent pastoral support and behaviour management, with staff knowing pupils well
  • Well-designed, broad and balanced curriculum that prepares pupils for middle school
  • Inclusive approach with prompt identification and tailored support for pupils with additional needs

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent writing standards, particularly among younger pupils who need more support with sentence construction and handwriting
  • Inconsistent application of behaviour expectations across classrooms, sometimes leading to distracted pupils and lost learning time
  • Some missed opportunities in early years to introduce new vocabulary during play and conversations
  • Teaching in some wider curriculum subjects does not consistently help pupils deepen their understanding of key concepts
  • Leaders' evaluations of their own work are sometimes too generous and don't focus closely enough on impact on pupil learning

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open, positive culture of safeguarding where all staff take responsibility, legal requirements are met, and pupils feel safe and know adults will act on their concerns.

Extracurricular Activities

School choir, karate, dance competitions, pupil innovation group, reading ambassadors, litter picking, charity events

St Michael's CofE (A) First School is a welcoming community school where pupils make steady progress in reading and mathematics, with improving writing standards. The school provides a calm, supportive environment where pupils feel safe and cared for.

At a Glance

10.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

29.5

Avg class size

29.0

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

4

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Penkridge Rail Station (Southbound)
513m · 8 min walk

Bus Stops

Cannock Road (adj)
116m · 2 min walk
Clay Street (opp)
239m · 4 min walk
White Hart PH (adj)
252m · 4 min walk
Crown Bridge (opp)
278m · 5 min walk
Frederick Road (nr)
338m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

99%

Near capacity

148 pupils

150 capacity

2 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Stafford

Low pressure
New homes approved:2,558
Projected new pupils:640

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Stafford

Admissions Demand - Staffordshire

Low demand0.79x oversubscription

Places available

10,783

Applications

8,531

Got 1st preference

95.6%

Got preferred school

99.2%

Primary admissions across Staffordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

3 February 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
3 February 2022
4 May 2016

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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

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

2.92618%

Overall absence

0.84746%

Persistent absence

118

Enrolments

Authorised2.2839%
Unauthorised0.64228%
Persistent (10%+)0.84746%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

2.48354%
18/19
1.4765%
20/21
4.65833%
21/22
3.24621%
22/23
3.20353%
23/24
2.92618%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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