Oakridge Primary School Review 2026: High-achieving Stafford primary with strong early years

Oakridge Primary School combines unusually strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with the feel of a settled, well-organised community school. Leadership is recent, with Mr Luke Wylde taking up post in September 2024, and the most recent inspection indicates that the transition has been handled confidently.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. What families do pay for tends to sit around practicalities and enrichment, such as wraparound care, trips, and optional activities. The school also has nursery provision from age three, plus on-site wraparound for younger children that can help working families maintain a single routine across the day.

For parents comparing options locally, the numbers are hard to ignore. In 2024, 95% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, and 97% met the expected standard in science. That is far above the England averages of 62% and 82% respectively.

Oakridge’s tone is anchored in high expectations paired with clear values. The school uses the language of aspiration, including “Reaching for the Stars”, and the most recent inspection description reinforces that pupils are confident learners who take their work seriously while also benefitting from a consistent culture of care.

A notable strength is how early years sits within the wider school story, rather than feeling like a bolt-on. The inspection highlights that nursery children are immersed in carefully chosen stories, songs and rhymes, and that ambitious language is a consistent thread from the earliest stages upwards. The practical implication for families is that children who start in nursery are likely to experience a coherent approach to language and routines as they move into Reception and beyond.

Leadership matters in a school where outcomes are already high, because the challenge becomes sustaining quality while continuing to refine practice. Mr Luke Wylde’s start date is clearly stated by the school, and it aligns with the inspection timeline, which references a new headteacher taking up post in September 2024.

Oakridge’s 2024 Key Stage 2 results stand out both in absolute terms and against England benchmarks.

• Expected standard (reading, writing and maths combined): 95%, compared with an England average of 62%.

• Expected standard (science): 97%, compared with an England average of 82%.

• Higher standard (greater depth in reading, writing and maths): 51.33%, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores: reading 110, maths 110, grammar punctuation and spelling 110.

The rankings add further context. Ranked 429th in England and 6th in Stafford for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), this places Oakridge well above England average, within the top 10% of primaries in England, and close to the top 3% on the percentile measure provided.

Parents weighing up local choices can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to compare these outcomes side-by-side with nearby primaries using the Comparison Tool, especially useful where school reputations travel faster than the data.

Oakridge’s strongest academic signal is literacy, and the supporting evidence is unusually specific. The inspection highlights an established reading culture, explicit attention to vocabulary, and a phonics programme that is carefully designed and taught by staff who know how pupils learn to read. It also describes staff identifying early when pupils begin to fall behind, then moving quickly to targeted help.

The implication for families is straightforward. In a school where nearly all pupils reach the expected standard by the end of Year 6, systems for diagnosing gaps and responding consistently are usually the differentiator, not a single “star teacher”. That matters in real life because it tends to reduce variation between classes and year groups.

Curriculum enrichment is positioned as part of the learning model rather than an occasional treat. The school describes a “Disney Land” curriculum idea and a commitment to frequent educational visits. While the phrasing is marketing-style, the examples on the school site show concrete activity, including trips to Gladstone Potteries for Years 3 and 4, plus a calendar with whole-school events that indicate a busy programme across the year.

As a state primary, Year 6 transition is shaped mainly by Staffordshire’s coordinated admissions and the family’s address-based secondary options. Oakridge does not prominently publish a formal list of secondary destinations on its own website, so families should treat this as an area for direct questions during visits. A sensible approach is to check the Staffordshire admissions guidance for secondary transfer, then confirm likely routes for your address through the council’s tools and the school’s own experience of recent cohorts.

Preparation for transition is supported by the school’s emphasis on reading, vocabulary and structured learning habits, which are the foundations most secondary schools assume on entry. The inspection also describes older pupils taking on responsibility, including mentoring roles that support younger pupils’ reading and wellbeing at break and lunchtimes. That kind of structured responsibility can ease the jump to secondary expectations around independence and social confidence.

Reception entry is run through Staffordshire’s local authority process. For September 2026 entry, the council timetable states: applications open 1 November 2025, close 15 January 2026, and outcomes are released on 16 April 2026 (National Offer Day).

Oakridge’s own admissions page confirms that Reception has a Published Admission Number of 30 pupils, and it encourages prospective families to attend open mornings.

Demand is clearly strong. For the Reception entry route captured Oakridge received 113 applications for 30 offers, a ratio of 3.77 applications per place, and it is described as oversubscribed. A useful nuance is that first preference demand is also high, with the first-preference-to-offer ratio at 1.15, suggesting that Oakridge is not just a “backup” option for families, it is a deliberate first choice for many.

Nursery admissions are handled directly by the school. For places starting in September 2026, the school states that applications open 9 February 2026, close 16 March 2026, with offers made by 25 March 2026, and it notes an existing waiting list for morning and afternoon places. The nursery structure listed is 24 morning places and 24 afternoon places.

Open events are unusually clear for a primary. The school lists nursery open mornings at 9.15am on Wednesday 4 February 2026 and Wednesday 4 March 2026.

For families where proximity may matter, it is worth using the FindMySchoolMap Search to understand practical travel time and day-to-day routine, even where distance cut-offs are not published.

A school with high attainment can sometimes feel narrowly academic. Here, the wider evidence points to a more rounded approach. The inspection describes a culture of kindness and care, strong peer relationships, and pupils knowing who to speak to if they have a concern. It also describes pupils taking social responsibility seriously, including pupil-led charity fundraising.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is also described as a strength, with staff understanding individual needs and adapting teaching appropriately, alongside partnership working with external agencies and parents. For families, the key implication is that strong results do not appear to be driven by a narrow intake or by leaving some children behind, because the official description includes pupils with SEND making excellent progress over time.

Safeguarding is a non-negotiable for parents. In the Ofsted inspection of 1 and 2 October 2024, safeguarding arrangements were judged effective.

Extracurricular life is most convincing when it has named, repeatable structures rather than vague claims. Oakridge’s wraparound and clubs provision has clear branding and operational detail. The 8 O’Clock Club runs before school, and Little Oaks provides after-school care options that extend the day to 6.00pm.

For sport, the school lists a set of clubs that goes beyond the standard menu, including cross country, gymnastics, and Gaelic football, alongside football, netball, rugby, tennis, athletics, rounders and cricket. The practical benefit is that pupils can try activities that suit different personalities, from endurance to team sport to skills-based options, without needing external clubs for first exposure.

Enrichment appears frequently in the school’s own narrative and calendar. Examples include a Young Voices concert trip to Manchester, plus curriculum-linked visits such as the Gladstone Potteries trips referenced for Years 3 and 4. These kinds of repeated cultural experiences tend to support confidence, background knowledge, and vocabulary, which links back to the school’s strong literacy picture.

The school day officially starts at 8.45am and ends at 3.15pm, with registers closing at 9.05am.

Wraparound care starts earlier, with the 8 O’Clock Club running from 8.00am to 8.55am. After school, Little Oaks offers two session options, one finishing at 4.20pm and one at 6.00pm. Prices published by the school for September 2025 onwards include £6.80 for the 8 O’Clock Club, and £6.80 to 4.20pm or £13.00 to 6.00pm for Little Oaks.

For nursery-aged children, the school references government-funded entitlement timing, with the universal 15-hour entitlement beginning from the term after a child’s third birthday (subject to eligibility and the broader early years funding rules). Nursery fee details change and should be checked directly on the school’s official pages rather than relying on third-party summaries.

• Reception places are competitive. With 113 applications for 30 offers in the recorded entry route, families should treat Oakridge as a high-demand option and include realistic alternatives on the local authority form.

• Nursery places may require early planning. The school states it has a waiting list and sets a specific nursery application window for September 2026 entry. Families relying on nursery childcare should align plans to those dates.

• Wraparound is structured, not drop-in. The school notes that after-school sessions must be pre-booked to maintain ratios, with emergency sessions dependent on availability. This suits families who plan ahead; it can be harder for those with unpredictable work patterns.

• High outcomes can raise the pace. In a school where results are significantly above England averages, lessons tend to move briskly. This suits pupils who enjoy challenge and structure; families with children who need a gentler pace should ask directly how support is organised day-to-day.

Oakridge Primary School is a high-performing Stafford primary where strong literacy, consistent routines, and purposeful enrichment combine to produce outcomes well above England averages. The early years offer is a genuine advantage for families who want continuity from nursery into Reception, and the wraparound structure adds practical value for working households. Best suited to families seeking an academically ambitious state primary with a clear culture, and who are prepared to plan ahead for admissions and childcare logistics.