The St. Mary’s CofE Primary School Review 2026: Small, faith-led primary with standout KS2 outcomes

A village-sized primary where strong academics sit alongside a visibly lived Church of England identity. The school is small (capacity 120) and covers ages 3 to 11, so relationships tend to be close and routines are consistent across year groups. Academic outcomes at the end of Year 6 are a clear headline, with a high proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The 13 September 2023 Ofsted inspection judged the school Outstanding overall and Outstanding across every graded area, including early years provision.

The school’s Church of England character is not a light touch add-on. It is woven through shared language, worship, and community life, and the stated core values, Love, Respect and Friendship, appear repeatedly across school communications and curriculum materials. The link with St Mary’s Church is framed as “pivotal”, with a clear emphasis on pupils flourishing as individuals and contributing to village life.

For a small setting, the tone is ambitious. The early part of the day is used deliberately for intervention, individual reading and target-setting before lessons properly begin, which tells you something about expectations and how staff use time. Worship also has a defined place in the daily rhythm, including an act of worship at the end of the day.

Nursery provision matters here. Early years is described as play-based and experience-led, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning. Communication and language is given priority, explicitly supported through songs, stories, Makaton, vocabulary work and structured talk routines. That focus should reassure families whose children are chatty but still developing clarity, confidence, or the ability to explain ideas in full sentences.

The KS2 picture is strong and unusually consistent across subjects. In 2024, 88.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 16.67% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and maths, above the England average of 8%. Reading and GPS look particularly strong, with 100% reaching the expected standard in reading and GPS.

Scaled scores reinforce the point: reading 107, maths 106, and GPS 109. Taken together, this suggests not only that most pupils clear the expected bar, but also that a meaningful minority are being stretched beyond it.

Rankings align with those outcomes. Ranked 2629th in England and 2nd in Rugeley for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above the England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

If you are comparing several local schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool is useful here, because it puts the combined reading, writing and maths measure alongside scaled scores, so you can see whether strength is broad or concentrated in one area.

The curriculum intent statements read like a school that takes sequencing seriously. In foundation stage, learning is framed as play-based but carefully structured, with assessment points across the year and a stated emphasis on language development and early reading behaviours. That approach is backed up in practical detail, for example daily Monster Phonics Foundations sessions in nursery, plus explicit support for rhyme, rhythm, oral blending and segmenting as children approach Reception readiness.

In key stage 1 and 2, there are signs of deliberate enrichment rather than bolt-on activities. History, for instance, includes an explicitly designed timeline to support chronological understanding, and units that connect local history to wider themes. Geography intent references fieldwork and the use of sources such as maps and aerial photographs. The implication for pupils is that “knowledge” and “doing” are not separated, children are expected to talk, write, and apply concepts, not simply recall them.

Music is treated as a serious curriculum subject. Years 3 and 4 receive whole-class K2M ensemble teaching from a visiting specialist, and there is clear planning around singing, performance and exposure to live events. For pupils who gain confidence through performance, this kind of structured provision can be a genuine strength rather than an occasional treat.

As a Staffordshire primary, secondary transfer is shaped mainly by local authority admissions and the practical reality of travel in a rural area. What the school does show, in its own historical calendars and communications, is active transition work with at least one local secondary, including scheduled Year 6 transition days with The Hart School in past planning. That points to a school that treats the move to Year 7 as a process rather than a single event.

For pupils, the most important preparation tends to be academic habits (reading stamina, secure number sense, writing fluency) and independence (organisation, managing routines, asking for help early). The school’s stated use of morning time for interventions and individual reading is relevant here, because it builds those habits incrementally rather than as a Year 6-only push.

If you are trying to understand likely next steps for your own child, your best evidence will be the pattern of offers for your address and the secondary schools within realistic travel distance. A shortlisting approach works well: check your nearest plausible secondaries, then ask the primary how transition links typically run each summer term.

This is a popular small school. For the most recent reception entry route data available here, there were 31 applications for 19 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed, with 1.63 applications per place. First preference demand is also high, with first preferences running ahead of offers. In practice, that usually means you should assume competition for places rather than relying on late movement.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Staffordshire. For September 2026 entry, Staffordshire’s published guidance states that applications must be made by 15 January 2026.

Nursery operates alongside this, with separate nursery application forms published for 2026-27. The school also signals that it welcomes visits and runs open days, with past patterns suggesting these can run in December for Reception interest. Where open day dates shown online are historic, treat them as a pattern indicator and confirm the current year’s dates directly with the school.

Two practical reminders that often catch families out: attending nursery does not itself create priority for Reception places in Staffordshire’s coordinated system, and the paperwork deadlines are absolute, so do not wait for a visit before applying.

Parents weighing relocation should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise home-to-school distance and compare it to the most recent published cut-offs, while remembering that distances vary year to year with the applicant pool.

A small roll often helps pastoral systems work quickly, problems are easier to spot, and communication with families can be more direct. The school also highlights inclusive communication through Makaton, including using signs and symbols alongside speech in worship and school life. For pupils who benefit from visual cues, or for families who value a culture of inclusion, that is a meaningful detail rather than a slogan.

Wraparound care is established through Care Club, which is framed as being in familiar surroundings and staffed by adults with appropriate checks and training. The operational detail, including session structures and published charges for 2025-26, suggests this is a core part of provision rather than an occasional add-on.

Safeguarding is described in official reporting as effective, and the practical implication for parents is that the basics, record keeping, staff training, and culture are treated as non-negotiables.

Extracurricular detail is unusually concrete for a school of this size. Clubs listed across school and official reporting include archery, dance and drama, dodgeball and football, which provides a mix of creative and active choices rather than a single dominant strand. The value for pupils is breadth: children who are not “sporty” in a conventional sense can still find a niche, while confident movers and performers get structured outlets.

Music extends beyond lessons into events and large-scale participation. KS2 pupils have taken part in Young Voices concerts at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, and choir pupils attend a Rotary children’s concert at The Garrick Theatre in Lichfield. That combination, mass participation plus public performance in recognised venues, often builds confidence quickly in upper primary.

Outdoor learning looks like a real pillar. The school’s outdoor learning updates show routine engagement with nature and growing, including produce used for salad bar and cooking, which indicates practical science and food education happening in real time. Pupils also take on roles that make the “small community” idea tangible, including responsibilities such as caring for chickens, which helps younger children learn routines and older pupils practise leadership in simple, age-appropriate ways.

The school day is set out clearly: the school runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm, with lunch 12:15pm to 1:15pm and worship at the end of the day.

Care Club provides before and after-school care, including breakfast sessions from 7:45am and after-school sessions that can run through to 6:00pm on most weekdays, with published pricing for 2025-26.

As a rural village school, most families will be balancing walking routes with short car journeys from surrounding villages; it is worth checking current parking and drop-off expectations in school communications before the first week, particularly if you will be arriving at peak time.

• Competition for places. With 31 applications for 19 offers on the most recent reception entry route data here, admission can be the limiting factor, especially for families applying late or relying on a single preference.

• Faith character is central. This is a Church of England school where worship and Christian framing are part of daily routines. Families who prefer a fully secular approach should weigh fit carefully.

• Small-school trade-offs. A capacity of 120 often means close relationships and clear routines, but it can also mean fewer parallel friendship groups within a year and less flexibility if a child’s peer match is narrow.

• Wraparound is a paid service. Care Club is well-defined, but it is self-funded, and popular sessions can fill. If you need regular wraparound, confirm availability early and budget for the weekly cost.

The St. Mary’s CofE Primary School combines a strongly articulated Church of England identity with academic outcomes that stand out for a small setting. Early years provision is described in thoughtful detail, and the wider offer, from Makaton to music performance and outdoor learning, points to a school that takes inclusion and enrichment seriously.

Who it suits: families who want a small, values-led primary with high end-of-key-stage results, and who are comfortable with daily worship and a Christian framing to school life. The main challenge is securing a place in a small intake.