Veritas Primary Academy Review 2026: High-performing Stafford primary with a strong wider curriculum

Drop-off on Weston Road has the feel of a busy, modern primary that takes routines seriously. Veritas opened as a new academy in September 2015, and it has built a clear identity around aspiration, enrichment and opportunity, with an emphasis on pupils being ready for what comes next.

Academic outcomes back up the day-to-day confidence. In 2024, 85.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 34% reached greater depth, compared with 8% across England.

Leadership is currently listed as Mr Richard Balding (headteacher) on the school website and the REAch2 directory. The school does not routinely publish an appointment date, so families who need this detail should ask the office directly.

Veritas presents as a school that likes clarity and structure. External review evidence describes a calm, orderly atmosphere where pupils know the rules and behaviour is consistently strong. That matters in a primary setting because it reduces low-level disruption and protects learning time, especially for pupils who find transitions and social time harder to manage.

The wider-curriculum flavour here is practical rather than performative. Pupils have access to leadership roles such as school captains and librarians, and there is an expectation that children learn to contribute, not just achieve. In the best primaries, those roles stop being badges and start being practice for secondary school: speaking up, organising others, and being trusted with responsibility.

Early years provision is a meaningful part of the offer. Nursery admits from the term after a child’s third birthday, and the school frames early transition as a planned process, with Nursery and Reception working closely together. Importantly for families, a nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place, so the steps into Reception still need careful planning.

Veritas is ranked 2,807th in England and 13th in Stafford for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That places it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England for this measure, a level parents usually experience as consistently strong teaching and secure basics by Year 6.

The headline indicator at the end of primary is the combined reading, writing and maths expected standard. In 2024, Veritas recorded 85.33% at expected standard, compared with 62% across England.

Depth matters too, especially for pupils who need more stretch. At the higher standard, 34% reached greater depth in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with 8% across England. This is the kind of profile that often correlates with fluent reading habits, confident number work, and pupils who can explain their thinking rather than just complete tasks.

Subject-level detail suggests a rounded picture rather than a single spike. Reading and maths scaled scores were 108 and 108 respectively, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 106. Science expected standard was 79%, slightly below the England average of 82%, which is a useful reminder that strengths can be broad while still leaving room to tighten particular strands.

The curriculum intent is explicitly broad and balanced, with a topic structure that sets out what each year group studies across the year. For example, the 2024 to 2025 curriculum maps list themes such as Movers and Shakers in Year 2, Dynamic Dynasties in Year 5, and Maafa in Year 6. In a primary setting, clear topic sequencing can help children build knowledge systematically rather than meeting ideas as one-off activities.

Reading is treated as a priority from the start. Evidence from external review material points to early reading beginning as soon as children start school, with a strong emphasis on practice with books that match the sounds pupils are learning. The school also uses reading-culture initiatives to keep momentum going beyond phonics, which is often the difference between pupils who can decode and pupils who choose to read.

Languages provision is unusually explicit for a primary. French is taught weekly to children in Years 1 to 6 by a specialist tutor, described as Madame Wood. The practical implication is smoother transition into local secondary schools that also teach French, because pupils arrive with some confidence in pronunciation and basic conversational patterns rather than starting from zero.

There is also a candid improvement edge. External review evidence highlights that, in a small number of subjects, content is not always ordered in the most logical sequence, and that consistency in the phonics programme delivery needs ongoing attention. For parents, this is best interpreted as a school with a strong baseline that is still refining how tightly knowledge builds across every subject area.

As a Stafford primary, the main progression point is into local secondary schools at Year 7 via Staffordshire’s coordinated admissions process. The school’s own Year 6 information notes that end-of-key-stage outcomes are used by pupils’ new high school to help understand current attainment and guide grouping and support.

Transition preparation is woven into normal primary practice rather than treated as a single event. Attendance guidance explicitly references the importance of Year 6 transition day, which suggests the school recognises the emotional and organisational impact of the move, not just the academic one.

A useful, practical detail for families weighing long-term continuity is the modern languages choice. Weekly French through Years 1 to 6 is positioned as preparation for local secondary curriculums that continue with French, which can help children feel competent early in Year 7.

Reception admissions are coordinated by Staffordshire, with a national closing date of 15 January for on-time applications, and outcomes released on National Offer Day. For September 2026 entry, Staffordshire states National Offer Day is 16 April 2026, and applications are made during the annual window that includes early November through mid-January.

Demand has been high. For Reception entry, 101 applications were recorded against 52 offers in the most recent dataset provided, indicating oversubscription at roughly 1.94 applications per place. In practice, that level of demand means families should apply on time and include realistic additional preferences, rather than assuming a single-choice application will work out.

Published admission number (PAN) is 60 for Reception. Where offer numbers fall below PAN in a given year, it can reflect normal system factors such as the timing of applications, local authority allocations, and the interaction with other statutory processes. Families should read the current policy carefully and focus on the oversubscription criteria, because that is what decides outcomes when demand exceeds places.

Nursery admissions are different. Nursery accepts children from the term after their third birthday, and applications are made directly to the school. The nursery runs term-time only, and the school notes that it can admit a new cohort at the start of each term, places permitting.

A key rule to underline: Staffordshire states that attending a school nursery does not automatically transfer to Reception at the same school, so families need to complete the Reception application through the local authority even if their child is thriving in Nursery.

Parents comparing schools can use FindMySchool’s Local Hub page to view primary outcomes side-by-side, and the Map Search tool to sanity-check practical travel time and day-to-day logistics.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the latest formal inspection documentation. That is the baseline families should expect, and it matters most when a school is large enough to have many moving parts: early years, key stage 1, key stage 2, clubs and wraparound.

Day-to-day wellbeing appears to be supported by structured systems. The enrichment programme includes a dedicated mindfulness club for younger pupils, and an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) club for Years 1 to 2, built around activities that help children manage friendships, emotions, and calm-down strategies. The implication is that personal development is treated as a taught skill set, not just something children pick up by osmosis.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is framed as a priority in external review evidence, including curriculum adaptations and engagement with external agencies such as speech and language therapy. For parents, the practical question is how this translates into everyday classroom adjustments, and whether communication with families is proactive. Those are the areas to probe in a visit.

Veritas takes extracurricular seriously enough to organise it as a termly programme with booking and clear structures. The autumn enrichment schedule includes Pickleball Club (Years 4 to 6), Mindfulness Club (Years 1 to 3), Strongman Kids (Years 4 to 6), Quiz Club (Years 3 to 6), and a Wednesday meditation club delivered by an external provider (X-HAIL Kids). For many families, this breadth makes weekday afternoons simpler, because children can stay on-site for a structured activity rather than needing travel to multiple clubs elsewhere.

A strength here is the mix of physical and reflective options. Pickleball is a newer paddle sport that can suit children who do not identify as traditional team-sports pupils, while mindfulness and meditation clubs give quieter children a legitimate place to reset after a busy day. The best primaries make space for both, because resilience is built in more than one way.

External review evidence also points to wider experiences that are memorable and genuinely educational. The report references activities such as archery, cookery and wheelchair basketball, plus residential experiences where pupils can try kayaking and abseiling, and even language-linked cultural experiences such as practising French conversation at a Parisian market. The implication is not just fun, it is confidence through doing unfamiliar things in a structured setting.

There is also evidence of environmental and civic threads. Eco Flag status and a pupil parliament with voting and decision-making give children real practice in responsibility and democracy, which often shows up later as more mature behaviour at secondary transition.

Cost-wise, this is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras such as uniform, trips, and paid clubs. The school’s published enrichment programme, for example, lists clubs running for 10 weeks at £30 for the term.

The school day is clearly set out. For Nursery, sessions run 08:45 to 12:00 (morning), 12:30 to 15:30 (afternoon), or 08:45 to 15:30 (all day). For Reception to Year 6, the start of day is 09:00, with Drop and Go from 08:40, and the end of day is 15:30.

Wraparound timings are also published: breakfast club runs 07:45 to 08:45, and after-school club runs until 17:45. Families relying on wraparound should still confirm how places are allocated and what the current booking process looks like, as the wraparound information page itself is flagged as under review.

For travel, the school’s own directions note that it sits between the old Staffordshire University campus and Staffordshire Police Headquarters, with security gates at the driveway and a visitor sign-in process at reception. That detail matters if you are planning a mid-day visit or arriving outside the main drop-off and pick-up windows.

• Reception entry is competitive. With 101 applications for 52 offers in the latest provided dataset, admissions are oversubscribed. Families should apply on time and include realistic additional preferences.

• Nursery does not guarantee Reception. Children can thrive in Nursery and still need to apply through Staffordshire for Reception, with places allocated under the published criteria.

• Curriculum consistency is still being refined. External review evidence identifies that sequencing in a small number of subjects needs tightening, and that phonics delivery consistency requires ongoing staff expertise building. Ask how the school has addressed this since late 2023.

• Drop-off logistics may be a live issue. External review material notes the school was working to resolve concerns about drop-off arrangements. If you are commuting and timing matters, observe the morning routine.

Veritas Primary Academy combines strong measured outcomes with an unusually detailed wider-curriculum picture. The best evidence points to calm routines, high expectations, and a lot of thought given to reading, language learning and enrichment beyond lessons.

It suits families who want a modern Stafford primary with above-England outcomes, structured wraparound, and a school culture where children are expected to participate, lead and try unfamiliar experiences. The limiting factor is admission pressure at Reception, so the practical work is getting the application strategy right as early as possible.