The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Shireland Technology Primary is a relatively new Sandwell primary, opened in September 2019 as an academy free school and growing year by year from an initial Reception and Year 1 intake. Its identity is unapologetically modern: technology is used routinely alongside exercise books, and the curriculum is built around a clear internal framework, excite, explore, excel, designed to make knowledge stick and vocabulary grow.
A distinctive practical feature is the week’s shape. Pupils have an extended day Monday to Thursday, with a shorter finish on Friday for Reception upwards, linked to a Friday enrichment offer. Families weighing the school should look beyond the headline judgement and ask: does an extended day suit the household rhythm, and will the child thrive in a setting where learning is frequently mediated through digital tools and immersive experiences?
The school was judged Outstanding in its most recent graded inspection, with Outstanding across Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management, and Early years provision.
The school’s stated ambition is high and it shows through in the way learning is framed. The vision is expressed as “bright futures for creative minds”, and the curriculum is described as deliberately constructed rather than loosely assembled from topics. That matters for parents because it usually signals two things: coherent sequencing, so children revisit ideas in a planned order; and consistency between classes, so quality is less dependent on which teacher a child happens to have.
Technology is not an occasional add-on here, it is part of how pupils record and revisit learning. Pupils use digital devices as well as books, and the school uses video and other resources to support recall. For some children, especially those who benefit from visual prompts and repeated retrieval, this approach can be a genuine enabler. For others who find screens distracting or need strong boundaries around device use, it is worth asking how the school manages focus and attention across the week.
The tone around behaviour and relationships is exceptionally positive in the most recent inspection evidence. Pupils are described as polite and looking after one another, with children from different backgrounds working and playing happily together. That combination, calm conduct plus social ease, often correlates with a school where routines are explicit and adults are consistent.
Leadership is slightly unusual in structure. The school site presents Lady Kirsty Grundy as Principal, with Andy Collins as Associate Principal (Head of School) focused on day-to-day aspects of the Principal role. Government data lists the headteacher or principal as Mr Andrew Collins. In practice, parents will experience a leadership team rather than a single visible figure, so it is sensible to ask, at open events or tours, who holds operational responsibility for behaviour systems, curriculum decisions, and admissions liaison, and how that maps onto trust-wide roles.
This review cannot rely on published Key Stage 2 performance measures because they are not present in the supplied performance results for this school. Instead, the most reliable recent academic evidence is qualitative and comes from the latest graded inspection, which judged the quality of education Outstanding and describes a curriculum planned in great detail, with clear sequencing and strong connections made between new and prior learning.
A practical example of academic intent is reading. Reading is described as a high priority, with children beginning to learn to read as soon as they start school, phonics taught daily, and additional help provided quickly through “learning surgeries” for pupils who need it. For parents, the implication is straightforward: children who need rapid catch-up should not be left waiting weeks for an intervention slot.
Because the school opened in 2019 and expanded year by year, it is also a setting where historical results trends will naturally be shorter than long-established primaries. That does not reduce the relevance of strong curriculum design and strong inspection evidence, but it is a reminder that families comparing schools should use FindMySchool’s local comparison tools to weigh like-for-like evidence across nearby primaries, especially where consistent published KS2 outcomes are a priority for them.
Curriculum design is one of the most distinctive features. The “three E’s”, excite, explore, excel, is not simply a slogan, it is the organising logic for sequencing knowledge and building vocabulary. The likely benefit for pupils is clarity: teachers know what to teach and when, and pupils revisit concepts in a planned order rather than encountering them as isolated topics.
The inspection evidence points to strong adaptation for pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities, and for pupils who speak English as an additional language, with lessons adapted so pupils learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers and support matched carefully to individual needs. For a school in a diverse community, that emphasis on access to the full curriculum can be a key quality marker.
Technology is described as being used exceptionally well to support learning, including in early years, where children use digital tablets to review experiences before producing work such as maps. This is worth probing as a parent, not in a sceptical way, but in a practical one: which platforms are used, how screen time is balanced with hands-on tasks, and how the school teaches digital safety and self-regulation alongside the academic content.
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
For a primary school, the most relevant “destination” questions are about transition into secondary education and how well the school prepares pupils for that step.
A specific local pathway is highlighted on the school’s admissions information: pupils who attend Shireland Technology Primary have an increased chance of securing a place at Shireland Collegiate Academy, subject to the published oversubscription criteria and processes, and this is explicitly not presented as a guarantee. That matters for parents who value continuity, especially where siblings may eventually follow, but it should be treated as a contextual advantage, not a promise.
Beyond that, families should consider the broader Sandwell secondary landscape. For some households, the priority will be proximity and community continuity; for others, it will be a particular specialism, pastoral model, or the availability of a strong arts or sport pathway. A sensible approach is to shortlist likely secondaries early, then ask how Year 5 and Year 6 transition work here: what information is shared with receiving schools, how independence is built, and how pupils are supported socially at the point of change.
Reception admissions follow the local authority route. The school’s published guidance for September 2026 entry states an application deadline of 15 January 2026 and an offer day of 16 April 2026. For families considering a move, the key point is that timings are non-negotiable, and late planning can close off otherwise viable options.
Demand for places, as reflected in the supplied admissions results, is strong. For the relevant admissions cycle, 122 applications were made for 60 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. First-preference demand also exceeds available places. This aligns with the broader picture: a school with a very strong inspection outcome, a distinctive offer, and a clear brand identity tends to attract more applicants than it can admit.
The school also has nursery provision, and its admissions information describes nursery places for children aged 3 to 4, starting the term after a third birthday, delivered as 15 hours per week, 8:30am to 11:30am Monday to Friday. Nursery fees are not listed here in this review; families should check the school’s official information directly for current early years pricing and eligibility for funded hours.
Open events and tours are a crucial part of the decision for a school with a distinctive teaching model. If you are evaluating fit, focus the visit on three practical questions: how the “three E’s” structure looks in a typical week; how teachers use devices without losing attention and handwriting stamina; and how pupils who need extra language or learning support are included in whole-class teaching.
Applications
122
Total received
Places Offered
60
Subscription Rate
2.0x
Apps per place
The evidence base for wellbeing is strong. Pupils are described as happy, feeling safe, and achieving very well, and safeguarding arrangements are described as effective. The combination matters: schools can sometimes be high-achieving but brittle; here the formal picture is that wellbeing and achievement are moving together.
Personal development appears to be treated as curriculum, not as an add-on. The inspection evidence describes structured experiences that help pupils reflect on moral and social issues through subjects such as geography and history, and highlights a specific “my cultural journey” initiative that builds skills and broadens horizons through activities such as first aid, stargazing, and cultural experiences. Parents who care about cultural capital in the plain-English sense, children having seen and tried things beyond the immediate neighbourhood, will likely find this element persuasive.
Enrichment is unusually prominent in the school’s weekly rhythm. The extended day Monday to Thursday underpins Friday enrichment afternoons, with examples of partnerships and clubs including a drama group through the Hippodrome Education Network, multi-sports through Sports4Kids, plus clubs such as rugby, netball, Shireland Voices (choir), and tabla drum lessons.
The inspection evidence also points to high-quality experiences tied into the curriculum, including drama and opera workshops with professional performers, and the use of an immersive room that enables pupils to explore places around the world and from history as part of learning. This is one of those features that can sound like marketing until you see how it is used. The key question for families is how consistently these experiences are integrated into curriculum knowledge, rather than being treated as one-off treats.
For children who gain confidence from performance, structured creative work, and shared projects, the described enrichment model can be a genuine lever for engagement. For children who prefer predictability and quiet routines, it is worth asking how the school supports them in busy, high-stimulus sessions, particularly where immersive and performance elements are part of the planned programme.
The school day starts at 8:30am. Monday to Thursday, pupils finish at 3:30pm; on Friday, Reception upwards finish at 2:30pm, with a paid option linked to Friday enrichment for families who need a later finish. Nursery runs 8:30am to 11:30am, Monday to Friday.
Wraparound care is available. Breakfast club runs 7:30am to 8:30am and after-school club runs 3:30pm to 5:45pm. The school also publishes session prices for wraparound, which can help families model weekly costs realistically.
For travel, school communications in the local trust context reference managing traffic and using nearby parking options when driving, rather than stopping in residential streets at peak times. Families relying on public transport may also want to factor walking routes and time from the nearest stations and bus stops into the daily routine.
Extended week rhythm. The Monday to Thursday day runs until 3:30pm, with a shorter Friday finish for Reception upwards. This suits many working households, but it changes the energy curve for younger pupils, so ask how the school manages tiredness and focus late in the afternoon.
Technology-rich learning. Digital devices and immersive resources are embedded in daily learning. For some pupils this drives engagement and recall; for others it can be distracting, so it is worth asking about screen-time boundaries and the balance with handwriting and reading stamina.
Oversubscription. Demand exceeds places in the supplied admissions data. If you are targeting Reception entry, treat deadlines as hard constraints and keep realistic alternatives in play.
Leadership structure. The school presents a Principal and an Associate Principal (Head of School), while government data lists the headteacher or principal differently. This is not inherently a problem, but parents should be clear who leads day-to-day decisions and who to speak to for specific issues.
Shireland Technology Primary is a modern, intentionally designed primary with a clear curriculum model, strong inspection evidence, and enrichment that is woven into the structure of the week. It will suit families who want an extended-day pattern, value structured personal development, and like the idea of technology supporting learning rather than sitting on the margins. Admission is the obstacle; if you are serious about a place, plan early, verify deadlines, and use FindMySchool’s tools to keep a realistic shortlist alongside it.
The most recent graded inspection judged the school Outstanding overall, with Outstanding across all key judgement areas including quality of education and early years provision. The report describes a carefully sequenced curriculum, strong reading priority, and very positive pupil behaviour and safety.
Reception applications are made through the local authority process, and places are allocated through published oversubscription criteria.
Yes. The school publishes breakfast club (7:30am to 8:30am) and after-school club (3:30pm to 5:45pm) timings, and notes that charges apply.
For children due to start Reception in September 2026, the school’s admissions information lists an application deadline of 15 January 2026 and an offer day of 16 April 2026.
Yes. The school offers nursery places for children aged 3 to 4, starting the term after a third birthday, delivered as 15 hours per week, 8:30am to 11:30am Monday to Friday.
Get in touch with the school directly
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