Waterside Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent

From the headteacher's welcome: "Waterside Primary School is proud to be situated in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent where cultural richness and diversity is celebrated within our school and our local community. There is sharp focus at Waterside on becoming respectful and tolerant citizens which enable positive interactions within and beyond our school."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, drama, STEM and forest school.

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Waterside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Stoke-on-Trent and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 77% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 77 families put Waterside Primary School as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Waterside Primary School are Hanley St Luke's Church of England Academy (0.2 miles, 53% reading, 60% maths); Co-op Academy Northwood (0.5 miles, Good); St Mark's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, 53% reading, 62% maths); and Co-op Academy Grove (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 75% maths).

Waterside Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.

Waterside Primary School is one of 31 schools run by The Shaw Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Waterside Primary School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).

42.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (40%), White British (23%) and Black (10%).

In 2026, 46 pupils (9.7%) received SEN support and 14 (3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

31 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is bus station (stand a), 200 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Waterside Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 672 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.

In 2024/25, Waterside Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.