Co-op Academy Glebe Review 2026: A small primary with unusually high attainment

Co-op Academy Glebe is the sort of primary that tends to surprise people who only know it by postcode. It is a relatively small school in Fenton, serving pupils from age 3 to 11, yet the outcomes suggest a highly organised learning culture and tight day to day routines. In 2024, 94.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 27.67% reached greater depth, compared with 8% across England.

The headline quality assurance is clear too. The 12 and 13 June 2024 Ofsted inspection judged the school Outstanding across every area, including early years.

Families typically come for two reasons: strong basics, particularly reading, and a pastoral approach that keeps behaviour calm and purposeful. The main practical challenge is demand. For the most recent application cycle 59 applications competed for 30 offers for the main entry route, making it oversubscribed.

The school presents itself as a place where belonging and ambition sit side by side. Leadership is visible in the way the school talks about consistency: pupils are expected to concentrate, produce high quality work, and treat each other well, from Nursery through Year 6. Formal reviews describe a respectful culture, with pupils confident that adults will listen and act when something is not right. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Day to day identity is reinforced through a clear set of values and a named culture framework. A published curriculum statement sets out six values, Togetherness, Hunger to learn, Resilience, Inspiring Individuals, Valuing all, and Excel & Enjoy, grouped under a THRIVE culture. This matters because it gives teachers and pupils shared language for effort, conduct, and pride in work, rather than relying on generic slogans.

Pupil voice is also structured rather than symbolic. Alongside an elected School Council, the school lists specific junior leadership roles including Wellbeing Champions, Reading Ambassadors, STEM Ambassadors, Communication Champions, Eco Warriors, Curriculum Challengers, and Sports Leaders, plus Year 6 Prefects. The practical implication is that confident pupils will find formal routes to take responsibility, while quieter pupils can often choose roles that suit them, such as reading, communication, or eco projects.

Leadership information is unusually transparent. The headteacher is Mrs Kirsty Suleman, and the head’s welcome notes she became Head of School in 2023 after more than 15 years as a key leader in the setting. That continuity often correlates with consistent routines and staff confidence in “how we do things here”.

Nursery and early years, what families should expect

Nursery provision is a meaningful part of the school, not an add on. The early years offer is built around school readiness, communication, and early literacy, with explicit preparation for phonics. A published EYFS guide states that the curriculum is mapped to the needs of children entering with lower prior experience, including coverage of Birth to Three skills early on.

The important point for parents is not just what is taught, but how quickly children are expected to adapt to routines that build independence. When that lands well, it makes the transition into Reception smoother and can reduce the “September wobble” many families experience.

This is a state primary, so the most meaningful academic indicators are Key Stage 2 (end of Year 6) attainment and scaled scores, plus a sense of how those results compare within England. Co-op Academy Glebe’s results are exceptionally strong on the available measures.

Ranked 935th in England and 5th in Stoke-on-Trent for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

This places the school well above the England average, within the top 10% of schools in England on this measure.

At KS2 in 2024:

• Expected standard (reading, writing, maths combined): 94.67%, compared with an England average of 62%.

• Higher standard (greater depth in reading, writing and maths): 27.67%, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores are also high: 109 in reading, 107 in maths, and 111 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

The implication for families is straightforward. If your child thrives with clear expectations and benefits from structured literacy and numeracy teaching, the academic experience is likely to feel purposeful and fast moving. For pupils who need more time, the school’s stated approach is to identify needs quickly and intervene early, rather than waiting for gaps to widen.

The curriculum is described as carefully sequenced from Nursery to Year 6, with deliberate connections across topics and year groups. In practice, this kind of planning tends to show up in two places: how confidently pupils recall prior learning, and how quickly teachers can move from recap into new content without losing half the class.

Reading is a major driver. The school publishes its approach to early reading through systematic phonics (Read Write Inc), beginning with foundations in Nursery (FS1) and continuing beyond age 7 when needed. For parents, the key detail is that phonics is not treated as a short Reception phase but as a skill set that is checked, reinforced, and extended until it is secure.

Support for pupils with additional needs is also unusually detailed in the published information. The SEND offer lists specific interventions spanning communication, literacy, maths, and social emotional development. Examples include Time to Talk and Talk Boost for language, Precision Teaching and Paired Reading for literacy fluency, Plus 1 and Power of 2 for maths, and programmes such as Lego Therapy and Just Right for regulation and communication. The practical implication is that parents can have more concrete conversations about “what help looks like” than is possible at many primaries, because the menu of support is made explicit.

As a Stoke-on-Trent primary, secondary transfer is coordinated through the local authority admissions process and depends on parental preference and oversubscription rules at receiving schools. The school itself describes building links with local secondary schools, including experience days for Key Stage 2 pupils. This is a sensible approach for a community where transition confidence matters as much as raw attainment.

For families thinking beyond Year 6, the most useful question to ask is not “which secondary does everyone go to?” but “how does my child handle change?”. A structured transition programme, combined with strong literacy, typically helps pupils settle quickly in Year 7, even when friendship groups split.

Admissions are coordinated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, including Reception applications.

Demand (most recent dataset point)

59 applications for 30 offers for the primary entry route, with an oversubscribed status. The first preference ratio is 1.23, suggesting many families place it high on the list rather than treating it as a fallback.

Key deadlines for September 2026 Reception entry (Stoke-on-Trent process)

For families applying for Reception entry for September 2026, the published timetable is: applications open in early November 2025, close on 15 January 2026, with outcomes sent on 16 April 2026.

Nursery admissions

Nursery entry has its own application round. For September 2026 nursery places, Stoke-on-Trent’s timetable shows a December 2025 opening, a late February 2026 closing date, and offers made mid May 2026.

The school notes that nursery attendance does not automatically guarantee a Reception place, so families should plan for a separate Reception application even if their child already attends Nursery.

Practical tip: use the FindMySchool Map Search to check realistic travel times and to sense check how viable a daily routine will be, particularly if you are balancing nursery drop off with work.

Pastoral strength here shows up in two ways: an emphasis on relationships, and an explicit approach to safety education. Official reviews describe pupils as having trusted adults and feeling safe, and the SEND information highlights structured work around social emotional needs, including small group support and lunchtime options such as Choice Club for targeted pupils.

The school also frames personal development as broader than assemblies and themed weeks. It references residential trips and external visitors as part of growing confidence and awareness of the wider world, which is particularly useful in a primary where some pupils may have limited access to out of school enrichment.

Extracurricular provision is positioned as an entitlement rather than a perk, with access for all year groups and a clear booking system. Clubs are selected and paid through Arbor, with places typically capped, so families who value a particular club should expect to book promptly at the start of each half term.

Music

Music is unusually well articulated for a primary. A published music development plan describes weekly specialist input, opportunities for choir, and a Year 6 Rock Band, plus instrumental tuition including guitars and ukuleles. The plan also states that instruments can be provided so lack of equipment does not block participation.

The implication is that musically inclined pupils can build confidence early, through performance routines that normalise being on stage or playing in a small group. For quieter pupils, structured ensemble work can be a gentle route into confidence without the intensity of competitive sport.

Outdoor learning and wider enrichment

Forest School is presented as a long term outdoor programme, with sessions designed to develop confidence and respect for the natural environment.

Community enrichment is also a real theme. The school has worked with The Hubb Foundation on holiday enrichment since 2018, and it hosted the foundation’s “millionth meal” milestone in August 2024. That is meaningful for parents because it signals a school that sees food, activity, and community support as part of educational access, not separate from it.

The published school day timings vary by year group. Nursery (FS1) runs from 8:25am to 2:45pm for standard hours, Reception (FS2) is 8:30am to 3:00pm, Year 1 is 8:25am to 2:55pm, and Years 2 to 6 are 8:30am to 3:00pm.

Wraparound care is available. The school publishes after school club sessions running 3:00pm to 4:00pm, with extended provision to 5:00pm. Breakfast club is referenced in official information, but the current timings are not clearly published in the main opening times page, so families should confirm details directly with the school.

For travel, the school sits within Fenton and is typically accessed via local bus routes and local roads used for school drop off. For most families, the key practical check is not the theoretical nearest station, but how reliably you can manage the morning window across Nursery and main school start times.

• Competition for places: The school is oversubscribed on the available admissions snapshot, with close to two applications per place. Families should plan for realistic alternatives as part of their Reception strategy.

• Pace and expectation: Outcomes suggest a high expectation culture. Many pupils thrive in that structure; some children may need extra reassurance if they are sensitive to performance pressure.

• Clubs can be capacity limited: Extra curricular places are capped, so popular clubs may fill quickly at the start of a half term.

• Nursery to Reception is not automatic: If you are using Nursery as your entry route, treat Reception as a separate application with its own deadline and documentation.

Co-op Academy Glebe combines a small school feel with results that sit well above England averages. Strong early reading practice, a clearly planned curriculum from Nursery to Year 6, and a structured approach to pupil leadership give it an unusually coherent “through line” across the primary years.

It suits families who want a disciplined, supportive learning culture and who value reading, routines, and clear expectations. The main barrier is admission, so the most sensible approach is to shortlist it alongside other realistic options and use tools like the FindMySchool comparison view to judge fit across your local area.