Anson CofE Primary School Review 2026: Small village primary with top-tier outcomes

For a school with a published admission number of 15 per year group, the academic picture is unusually strong. In 2024, 97.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, far above the England average of 62%. Almost half reached the higher standard, which is also far above the England benchmark (see Results).

The latest graded inspection (7 and 8 November 2023) confirmed an effective, well-led school with outstanding judgements for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision, alongside a good judgement for quality of education.

Church of England identity is not a light-touch label here. The school’s stated values include love, respect and friendship, and its worship culture includes older pupils supporting younger prayer partners.

This is a small-school setting where routines and relationships matter. The inspection evidence points to a warm, family feel and high expectations coexisting without fuss, with pupils describing caring staff and strong peer relationships.

The Church of England character shows up in daily life rather than sitting in a prospectus. Collective worship is a regular anchor point, with prayer partners (older pupils linked to younger children), and a Prayer Garden referenced as a space for quiet reflection.

Pupil voice is built into the school’s structures. Formal roles include a weekly School Council, plus pupil leadership groups such as a Computing Council focused on online safety, and an Eco Council with a clear mission statement and practical projects (from checking energy use to tending fruit and vegetable growing).

This section uses FindMySchool rankings and official outcomes data from the dataset provided.

The headline KS2 indicator is striking

In 2024, 97.67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 47.67% achieved greater depth, compared with an England average of 8%.

Scaled scores reinforce the same story: reading 110, mathematics 109, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 111 (England scaled score averages are typically 100, where published).

Rankings provide extra context for parents comparing locally

Ranked 419th in England and 5th in Stafford for primary outcomes, this places the school well above England average, in the top 10% of schools in England (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data).

What this means in practice is not simply “high attainment”. At a small school, high outcomes usually depend on two things, consistency of teaching, and rapid identification of gaps. The inspection narrative supports that pattern, with clear feedback, strong checking for understanding, and deliberate revisiting of prior learning so that knowledge sticks.

Teaching is described as clear and well sequenced. In mathematics, pupils are encouraged to use prior knowledge to solve problems in different ways and explain their thinking, building confidence with operations over time. That approach tends to suit pupils who enjoy reasoning and benefit from structured explanations.

Reading is positioned as a priority. The inspection evidence highlights consistent phonics approaches, appropriate matched books, and targeted support for pupils who struggle, aimed at catching up promptly rather than allowing drift.

Curriculum breadth matters for a village primary, because families often want both strong basics and rich experience. The curriculum is described as broad and ambitious, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The main development point is in a small number of foundation subjects where pupils remembered activities but did not always retain the intended knowledge securely. That is a very specific kind of improvement area, it suggests the work is about strengthening long-term memory and connections, not about basic coverage.

For most families, the key transition question is which secondary school is realistic from their address. Staffordshire uses a catchment-based approach for many schools, with tools that allow families to check catchment schools and maps by home address.

Because secondary transfer patterns vary by exact location and preference structure, it is sensible to treat Year 6 transition here as a blend of preparation and signposting. The school’s focus on reading fluency, mathematical reasoning, vocabulary and presentation standards aligns well with what pupils meet at secondary level, especially in subjects that demand extended writing and precise terminology.

If you are shortlisting, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand which secondary options are within practical travel time from your home, then pairing that with Staffordshire’s catchment checking so that expectations are realistic.

This is a Staffordshire primary with a small planned admission number. The school’s published admission number (PAN) is 15.

Demand data indicates pressure at the main entry point. For the relevant entry route, 35 applications were made for 19 offers, which is 1.84 applications per place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed.

The local authority notes that the closing date for primary applications is usually around mid-January each year, and the school is clear that allocations are made through Staffordshire rather than directly by the school.

Oversubscription criteria matter in small schools because a handful of applications can change the cut-off materially. Staffordshire’s published information for the school references priority for looked-after children and, within the criteria, local villages including Great Haywood, Tixall and Ingestre alongside sibling considerations.

Practical shortlisting tip: if you are outside the closest local area, do not assume a place will be available just because the cohort size is small. Oversubscription in a 15-PAN context can mean the threshold is tight.

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are a standout strength in the most recent graded inspection, supported by strong relationships and a culture where pupils feel safe and say bullying is not part of daily life.

Pastoral support includes a named calm space referred to as the Rainbow room, used for pastoral input and additional learning help. That kind of provision often matters most in a small school because there are fewer parallel classes, so the quality of day-to-day regulation support can make or break a child’s experience.

Safeguarding is treated as a core operational priority, with the school stating that staff receive regular safeguarding training, and the inspection confirming that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The extracurricular offer is shaped by the realities of a small school and the advantages of it. Rather than hundreds of clubs, the emphasis is on well-planned experiences and high participation when an activity runs.

There is a clear after-school clubs structure. Clubs are typically organised termly, run for about 10 weeks, and operate 3.30pm to 4.30pm with limited places. The school also states a per-club charge model for these after-school clubs.

Two distinctive examples stand out because they show the school’s culture rather than generic enrichment:

• The Spelling Bee, a termly whole-school competition designed to raise spelling standards, with certificates and a trust-wide final in the summer term. That adds an academic edge without turning the school into an exam-pressure environment.

• Eco Council projects, which move beyond poster-making into practical routines like tending growing areas, reviewing environmental priorities, and linking produce to Harvest giving. This is the kind of structured responsibility that helps pupils feel ownership of their environment.

The Outdoor Classroom is presented as a defined asset, positioned around learning in a natural environment with a focus on communication, perseverance, problem solving and teamwork.

School day structure is published clearly. Gates open at 8.43am and close at 8.55am, with registration by 8.55am. The day includes a lunch split by class, and collective worship is scheduled later in the afternoon.

Wraparound care is available as a Care Club provision. Published times include breakfast provision (7.45am to 8.45am), an after-school session (3.15pm to 5.00pm), and a short Drop and Go option (8.30am to 8.45am). Charges are published alongside these times, and tax-free childcare vouchers are accepted.

Getting there will be easiest by car for many families, but public transport exists in the wider area. Staffordshire’s bus information for the Stafford and Stone area lists routes serving Great Haywood (including 828 and 828A).

• Competition for a small number of places. With a published admission number of 15, even modest swings in applications can change outcomes year to year. Demand indicators show oversubscription and a high applications-to-offers ratio at the main entry point.

• Curriculum memory in a few foundation subjects. The improvement focus is specific, pupils sometimes remembered activities rather than the intended knowledge in a small number of foundation areas. Families who care about humanities and wider curriculum depth should ask how knowledge is being reinforced over time.

• After-school clubs are popular and capacity-limited. Clubs run with capped numbers and first-come allocation, so families relying on clubs for childcare should check practical availability early in each term.

• Church of England culture is active. Collective worship and prayer partner structures are part of the school’s identity. For some families this is a positive anchor; others may prefer a more secular ethos.

This is a high-performing village primary with a calm, strongly values-led culture and a clear sense of community responsibility. Results place it well above England averages, and the most recent inspection judgements point to exceptional strengths in behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years.

Best suited to families who want a small-school feel but do not want to compromise on academic outcomes, and who are comfortable with an explicitly Church of England framework in daily school life. The main challenge is admission, the intake is small and demand is real.