The Willows Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~475m)Possible (~678m)Unlikely (~881m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Sarah Thursfield
Pupils:689 / 690 capacity
LA:Stoke-on-Trent
Phone:01782233280
Address:Greatbatch Avenue, Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7JY
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 10 June 2025View full report
URN:123999
UKPRN:10077210
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Stoke-on-Trent Central
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

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

HI - Hearing Impairment

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

145 responses
Would recommend95%
Child is happy99%
Well taught95%
Good progress92%
Feels safe97%
Well behaved96%
Bullying dealt with16%
Kept informed94%
Handles concerns61%
Wider development89%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+1ppMathsWriting+6pp

Reading has remained stable at around 82%. Maths has remained stable at around 84%. Writing has improved from 74% to 80%.

Class Sizes

27.6

Avg class size

29.9

Infant (KS1)

30.1

KS2

25

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Stone Street (opp)
139m · 2 min walk
St Thomas' Place (adj)
148m · 2 min walk
Princes Road (opp)
187m · 3 min walk
Mount Avenue (adj)
227m · 4 min walk
Quarry Road (adj)
278m · 5 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

100%

Over capacity

689 pupils

690 capacity

1 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Stoke-on-Trent

Low pressure
New homes approved:3,431
Projected new pupils:858

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Stoke-on-Trent

Admissions Demand - Stoke-on-Trent

Low demand0.89x oversubscription

Places available

3,375

Applications

3,008

Got 1st preference

95.3%

Got preferred school

98.1%

Primary admissions across Stoke-on-Trent (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

10 June 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
3 March 2020
8 June 2016

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

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

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

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.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

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.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

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

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.09409%

Overall absence

7.78986%

Persistent absence

552

Enrolments

Authorised2.9717%
Unauthorised1.12238%
Persistent (10%+)7.78986%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.63895%
18/19
3.3725%
20/21
6.55968%
21/22
5.48023%
22/23
4.96787%
23/24
4.09409%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Showing 10 of 12 linked schools

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.