Cradley CofE Primary School, Halesowen Review 2026: An Outstanding Church School with Top-Quartile KS2 Results

At the heart of this one-form entry Church of England primary is a simple idea, children learn best when they feel they belong. The school’s own language centres on belief, belonging and happiness, supported by a clear set of values (including respect, courage, trust, perseverance, forgiveness, caring and resilience).

The latest Ofsted inspection (12 and 13 July 2022) rated the school Outstanding overall, with Outstanding judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years.

Leadership has recently changed hands. Governors appointed Mrs Claire Warford as the new headteacher, due to join in September 2024, following Mrs Marcia Harris’s long tenure.

A strong Christian ethos is not treated as an add-on here. Collective worship is described as central to school life, and the school explicitly links daily worship to its vision and values. Bible stories are used as the narrative backbone for themes such as courage (David and Goliath), trust (Peter stepping onto the water), and forgiveness (the prodigal son), with an emphasis on real-life choices and the way pupils treat each other. Visiting worship leaders are part of the pattern, including Mother Victoria and other local church contributors.

This faith identity sits alongside an inclusive admissions stance. The school’s prospectus states it is open to all children regardless of faith or background, while still operating as a voluntary aided Church of England school with distinct values and worship at its core.

A noticeable feature is the way pupil voice is formalised. The school sets out pupil leadership as more than a badge, it is framed as a practical route to confidence, teamwork and responsibility. The leadership model is split into named teams with specific remits, including a Worship Crew that helps lead fortnightly worship and bring Picture News into collective worship, and an Eco Team focused on improving recycling across school. Mental Health Champions are another defined group, with Year 3 pupils completing initial training through One Goal and achieving a Bronze Award for the school, plus plans for an outdoor wellbeing space for quiet reflection.

Pastoral support has also been given a dedicated physical base. The school has introduced a Nurture Room, described as a calm and welcoming space for pupils needing extra support with social, emotional or wellbeing needs. The nurture programme is led by Mrs Shackleton and includes small-group sessions and one-to-one support, with a stated focus on confidence, resilience and relationships.

The published Key Stage 2 picture is strong, and importantly it is broad rather than a single spike. In 2024, 82% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 29% reached greater depth across reading, writing and maths, well above the England average of 8%.

Scaled scores support the same story. Reading averaged 106, maths 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 110, which aligns with a cohort that is not only meeting expectations but doing so with real security in core knowledge and accuracy.

On the FindMySchool ranking (based on official outcomes data), the school is ranked 2,444th in England for primary outcomes and 3rd locally in Halesowen. That equates to performance above the England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England.

For parents, the practical implication is that the school is not just producing “just over the line” results. The proportion hitting higher standards, combined with strong scaled scores, suggests pupils are leaving Year 6 with solid fluency in reading and maths, plus confident technical writing skills.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and the Comparison Tool to view these outcomes side by side using the same measures and the same year of data.

Curriculum intent is expressed clearly through the language of vocabulary, subject depth and structured progression. The latest inspection describes leaders as setting high standards and refusing to let barriers get in the way of achievement, with particular attention to early vocabulary development and a curriculum that supports pupils to talk maturely about real-life situations.

Beyond headline statements, there are tangible examples of how the school builds breadth. The prospectus describes French as part of curriculum entitlement, and it also sets out structured access to practical and outdoor learning through a forest schools facility, with Year 1 to Year 6 each accessing it for half a term across the year.

Physical education is also mapped in a way that suggests planned progression rather than ad hoc sport. The published PE overview includes units such as outdoor adventurous activities (OAA), yoga, hockey, gymnastics, dance themes (including Diwali), and athletics across different year groups.

For families, the takeaway is that teaching is designed to build both core academic fluency and a wider base of knowledge and experience. Forest school time, structured PE units, and explicit vocabulary teaching can suit pupils who need learning to be concrete and well sequenced rather than purely worksheet-driven.

As a state primary, the next step is secondary transfer at Year 7, coordinated through the local authority’s admissions process. The school’s published materials emphasise preparation for transition and good information-sharing, especially for pupils with additional needs.

For pupils with SEND, the school sets out a clear transition routine: liaison between SENDCos, multiple visits to the new school where needed, staff from the receiving school visiting pupils, and passing reports immediately prior to transfer. This is practical, process-driven support that matters in Year 6, when anxiety about change can undermine otherwise secure learning.

The prospectus also notes broader liaison with local secondary schools through activities and clubs, which can help pupils see secondary as a continuation rather than a cliff edge.

This is a Dudley local authority primary admissions route, and the school is oversubscribed on the most recent published demand figures. For Reception entry, the dataset shows 100 applications for 30 offers, which is 3.33 applications per place. This level of demand typically means that families should treat application accuracy and deadlines as non-negotiable.

For September 2026 Reception intake, the school publishes a clear timeline: applications open on 01 October 2025; the deadline is 15 January 2026; and offer notifications are sent after 2pm on 16 April 2026. Appeals are stated as being heard between June and July 2026.

Open events are usually your best way to check fit and ask practical questions. The school has previously run open days in mid-October, with visits framed around tours led by Year 6 pupils. Dates can shift year to year, so treat the month as the predictable pattern and check the school’s current calendar for the latest schedule.

If you are relying on proximity for admission, FindMySchoolMap Search is useful for checking your exact distance to the school gate and understanding how that compares with recent allocation patterns.

Pastoral support is not presented as a single intervention but as a set of routines and spaces. The Nurture Room is the most visible example, positioned as a calm base for pupils who need extra help regulating emotions or rebuilding confidence, delivered through one-to-one work and small groups.

Pupil leadership is also used as a wellbeing lever. Mental Health Champions are framed as trained pupils who can lead worship around mental wellbeing and help design an outdoor space for quiet reflection, which signals that wellbeing is treated as a shared community responsibility rather than only a staff job.

Inspectors noted that bullying incidents are rare and dealt with quickly, and that pupils have confidence in staff to keep them safe.

A school’s extracurricular offer is most useful when it reveals what the community actually values. Here, the named activities connect tightly back to worship, values and pupil voice.

Creativity club is a good example of how ethos becomes practical. The club is explicitly linked to a value explored in worship, and pupils have used the club to recreate Van Gogh’s The Starry Night through their own artwork. The implication is that creative work is not treated as a one-off “art afternoon” but as something that can be deliberately planned, taught, and revisited through a theme.

Music and performance opportunities show up in specific events. The school’s photo archive references Year 6 taking part in Young Voices at Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, including singing with Heather Small. For pupils who thrive on large-scale shared experiences, this sort of event can become a defining memory of primary life, and it often helps quieter children build confidence through rehearsed collective performance.

The prospectus also lists a range of past clubs including choir, recorders, drama, sewing, crafts, French, cross country, football and badminton, plus visiting specialist sports coaches.

Finally, pupil leadership itself functions like an enrichment strand. Worship Crew, Eco Team, and Mental Health Champions are not “clubs” in the conventional sense, but they are structured roles that give pupils meaningful responsibility, public speaking opportunities, and real projects with outcomes.

The school day begins at 8.45am and ends at 3.15pm, with registration open from 8.45am and closing at 9.00am.

Wraparound care is available through the school’s before and after-school club. Morning provision runs from 7.30am to 8.45am, and after-school provision runs from 3.15pm to 6.00pm. Current published session costs are £4.70 (morning) and £7.20 (after school), with a healthy snack included in the after-school session. Places are limited to maintain safe staff to pupil ratios.

For travel, the key point is that this is a local-community primary with high demand. If walking distance matters to your application strategy, check your routes and timing at drop-off and pick-up hours, and confirm any local parking constraints when you visit.

• Oversubscription pressure. With 3.33 applications per place on the latest published Reception demand figures, entry is competitive. Families should plan early, prioritise deadlines, and use open events to understand how the admissions criteria operate in practice.

• Faith life is real, not nominal. Daily worship, Bible narratives and links with local worship leaders are embedded into school routines. This suits many families, including those who value a Church of England approach without wanting exclusivity; families who prefer a fully secular school day should probe what worship looks like week to week.

• Values-led culture means expectations. The school places heavy emphasis on shared values and on pupils taking responsibility, through Worship Crew, Eco Team, and Mental Health Champions. For most pupils this is motivating; for a child who struggles with routines or public responsibility, it is worth asking how support is structured and how leadership opportunities are introduced gradually.

This is a high-performing Church of England primary with an Outstanding inspection profile, strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, and a culture built around belonging and responsibility. The best fit is for families who want a values-led school day, clear routines, and an environment where pupil voice is formalised through leadership teams and wellbeing initiatives. The main constraint is admission rather than quality, demand is high and timing matters.