The Willows Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent
The Willows Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Stoke-on-Trent. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 27th-highest of the 103 schools in Stoke-on-Trent with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Stoke-on-Trent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Willows Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at The Willows Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Stoke-on-Trent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (81% in reading, 84% in maths).
Getting a place at The Willows Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 72 families put The Willows Primary School as their first choice and 114 named it as one of their preferences, for 76 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 The Willows Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Willows Primary School are St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 68% maths); St John's CofE (A) Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 63% maths); Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 68% reading, 55% maths); and Harpfield Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 87% reading, 77% maths).
The Willows Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary SchoolSt John's CofE (A) Primary SchoolStoke Minster CofE Primary AcademyHarpfield Primary Academy
What parents say
145 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Willows Primary School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 74% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (74%).
Who goes there
25.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (63%), Asian (19%) and Black (5%).
In 2026, 86 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 19 (2.8%) 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.
The Willows Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 10 places, 8 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 1090 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stone Street (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 440 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Stoke-on-Trent (280), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
The Willows Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Willows Primary School are Thistley Hough Academy (0.4 miles), St Joseph's College (1.1 miles), St Peter's CofE Academy (1.1 miles) and Clayton Hall Academy (1.4 miles).
Thistley Hough AcademySt Joseph's CollegeSt Peter's CofE AcademyClayton Hall Academy
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); 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from November 2010, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Willows creates a warm, caring environment where children feel safe and happy while achieving success across a broad range of subjects. The school stands out for its exceptional personal development programme that inspires pupils to think about their futures and understand the world around them. With excellent reading teaching, diverse enrichment activities including sports and creative clubs, and strong support for all learners including those with additional needs, your child will develop into a confident, well-rounded citizen.
Key Strengths
- Excellent personal development programme with strong focus on aspiration, career awareness and understanding different cultures and beliefs
- Outstanding reading provision with consistent phonics teaching and pupils developing a genuine love of reading
- Warm, nurturing environment where pupils behave well and relationships with staff are strong
- Extensive enrichment activities including sports, creative pursuits, workshops and residential trips
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs who learn well alongside their peers
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent assessment approaches across some subjects mean the school cannot always accurately track how well pupils have learned over time
- Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not achieve as well as they could because progress monitoring is not consistent in all areas
- Early years children have limited opportunities for physical development activities and staff do not always check progress in this area effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with secure systems in place and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Crocheting, trampolining, weightlifting, sporting competitions, career-focused workshops, local artist visits, residential trips
The Willows Primary School is a warm and nurturing school where pupils thrive through a broad curriculum and diverse range of experiences. Relationships are at the core of the school's work, with pupils feeling safe, happy and well cared for.
At a Glance
24.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
145 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 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.9
Infant (KS1)
30.1
KS2
22
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from The Willows Primary School
2 Hazel visit to Peak Wildlife
29 Sep 2026
2 Oak visit to Peak Wildlife
29 Sep 2026
PTFA AGM 6pm
29 Sep 2026
2 Yew visit to Peak Wildlife
29 Sep 2026
#helloyellow Day
29 Sep 2026
3 Owl visit to Whitfield Valley Nature Centre
27 Aug 2026
From The Willows Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with The Willows Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Willows Primary School.
- St Thomas Aquinas Care Club740m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Willows Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Willows Primary School is in Stoke-on-Trent; for families living there:
- Stoke-on-Trent's school travel policy: School transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Stoke-on-Trent is 12.5 (the median across 116 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 The Willows Primary School
Will you get a place at The Willows Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Willows Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Willows Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Willows Primary School.
- Stoke-on-Trent publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Willows Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Willows Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Stoke-on-Trent 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
101%
Over capacity
631 pupils
630 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Stoke-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stoke-on-Trent
Across Stoke-on-Trent council
Places available
3,315
Applications
2,953
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All primary applications across Stoke-on-Trent council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
86
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
15.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Willows Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 10 places, 8 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
689
Total Pupils
353
Boys
336
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
23.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,384
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,190
Per pupil
£3631k
Total funding
£201k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
552
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
The Willows Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Willows Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Willows Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Willows Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is The Willows Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Willows Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2010, it was rated Good.
How close to The Willows Primary School do you need to live?
Stoke-on-Trent published that the last place offered at The Willows Primary School on distance went to a family 1.207 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at The Willows Primary School?
The Willows Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Willows Primary School?
Classes at The Willows Primary School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Willows Primary School?
The Willows Primary School has around 689 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Willows Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
The Willows Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 10 places, 8 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Willows Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at The Willows Primary School in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Willows Primary School?
Apply through Stoke-on-Trent's coordinated admissions process, naming The Willows 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.
Does The Willows Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of The Willows Primary School: St Thomas Aquinas Care Club (740m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Willows Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Stoke-on-Trent is 12.5 (the median across 116 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Willows Primary School?
The Willows Primary School is at Greatbatch Avenue, Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 7JY.
Sources: Stoke-on-Trent admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)