Newstead Primary Academy Review 2026: High-attaining Stoke-on-Trent primary with unusually rich enrichment

Drop-off is tightly organised, with gates open from 8:30am, supervised from 8:35am, and locked at 8:45am, a small detail that signals a school that takes routines, punctuality, and safeguarding seriously.

This is a two-form entry primary for ages 3 to 11, and it sits at the centre of the Inspirational Learning Academies Trust, the local multi-academy trust it helped establish.

Academically, outcomes are unusually strong for a city primary: the school’s Key Stage 2 headline measures place it well above England averages, and it ranks 603rd in England for primary outcomes in FindMySchool’s rankings, with a local rank of 3 in Stoke-on-Trent. That places it comfortably within the top 10% of primaries in England by this methodology.

The most recent full inspection (2 and 3 July 2024) graded the school Outstanding in every judgement area, including early years.

A defining feature here is the combination of high expectations with a deliberately caring tone. Formal routines begin early, with children taught what “ready to learn” looks like from the start of the day, and with consistent systems for attendance, punctuality, and behaviour.

Leadership is structured across the trust. The staff directory sets out a trust senior leadership team (including Mrs H Stocking as Chief Executive Officer) and a school leadership team led day-to-day by the Head of School, Miss E Meakin (with an Acting Head of School, Mr J Kinsey, covering MAT leave). This layered model tends to suit families who value stability of systems across years, because strategic decisions can sit above a single site, while daily decisions remain close to classrooms.

There is also an identifiable “wider world” thread running through how the school presents itself. The trust vision explicitly talks about a stimulating curriculum and opportunities beyond the classroom, and this shows up in the way enrichment and educational visits are treated as core rather than optional.

The data paints a clear picture of very high attainment by the end of Year 6.

In 2024, 92.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average is 62%, so the gap is substantial. At the higher standard (greater depth), 43% reached this threshold, compared with an England average of 8%.

Scaled scores add detail to the headline: reading was 110, mathematics 108, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 111. (For most families, the practical takeaway is that this is a school where core basics are taught to a high level, and where a large proportion of pupils are pushing beyond the expected curriculum standard.)

Rankings support that impression. FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking places Newstead Primary Academy 603rd in England and 3rd locally in Stoke-on-Trent, based on official performance data. This sits well above England average and within the top 10% of primaries in England.

For families comparing options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can be useful for viewing these metrics alongside nearby schools, particularly when you want to balance raw attainment with practicalities such as travel time and wraparound care.

A high-attaining primary can sometimes feel narrowly exam-driven. The more interesting point here is how the school links academic basics to broader curriculum intent.

External review notes a carefully sequenced curriculum designed to help pupils connect learning across subjects. One example given is pupils using knowledge and skills from art to create a virtual gallery in computing, a small but telling indicator of deliberate cross-curricular planning rather than isolated topic work.

Reading is treated as a priority, with structured phonics delivery and frequent practice using texts that align closely with pupils’ current knowledge. The important implication for parents is consistency: where phonics programmes are delivered precisely, children who need extra support are usually identified quickly and helped to keep pace with the class rather than falling behind early.

SEND identification and adaptation are also highlighted as systematic, with the curriculum adjusted so that pupils with additional needs can access the same ambitious content. The practical consequence is that support is less likely to be “bolt-on” and more likely to be integrated into normal classroom expectations.

As a state primary, Year 6 transition is shaped primarily by the secondary admissions choices families make across Stoke-on-Trent, and by travel logistics from Blurton.

What Newstead can control is readiness. External review states that pupils progress extremely well through the curriculum and are very well prepared for the next stage, which typically translates into children arriving at secondary school confident with core literacy and numeracy, and with experience of structured routines.

For families who want to plan early, Stoke-on-Trent secondary applications are managed on a separate timetable from Reception, and the right approach is usually to work backwards from the local authority’s deadline, then shortlist schools based on realistic travel time and your own child’s needs and temperament.

Reception entry (September 2026)

Reception admissions are coordinated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. For entry in September 2026, applications open from 1 November 2025, the published deadline is 15 January 2026, and outcome emails are sent on 16 April 2026.

Demand is higher than supply. The most recent admissions data provided for the Reception route shows 80 applications for 57 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed, equating to about 1.4 applications per place offered. For parents, that usually means you should treat it as a competitive option and build a realistic shortlist rather than relying on a single preferred school.

The school’s own published capacity figures indicate 60 places in Reception (two-form entry), and nursery and year-group capacities are set out clearly in its admissions information.

Nursery entry (ages 3 to 4)

Newstead Primary Academy has nursery provision. For the Stoke-on-Trent nursery admissions round aligned to September 2026 entry, the council timetable shows applications opening on 1 December 2025, closing on 27 February 2026, with nursery offers made on 15 May 2026.

A key practical point for families is the daily pattern. The academy prospectus describes nursery sessions running 8:45am to 12:00pm (morning), 1:00pm to 3:00pm (afternoon), with a lunchtime period in between. This clarity helps working parents plan around wraparound care if they need it.

Open days and visits

The school promotes a 360-degree virtual tour, which can be a useful first step if you are shortlisting and want a sense of space and facilities before booking a visit.

For in-person visits and the most up-to-date open event schedule, families should check the school’s communications channels directly, as open day calendars can change across the year.

Pastoral support here is described in concrete, operational terms rather than vague statements. The staff directory lists a designated safeguarding lead, a wellbeing leader and school counsellor, and a wider family support structure. This matters because it indicates named accountability, which is usually what families want when they are assessing how quickly concerns will be handled.

The latest Ofsted report confirms that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

For pupils, the day-to-day implication is predictability. Expectations are taught early, behaviour is treated as a shared responsibility, and pupils are encouraged to speak up when they have a worry, supported by clear adult roles.

This is where Newstead Primary Academy differentiates itself most clearly from many local primary schools.

One strand is Children’s University, built around a “passport to learning” model where pupils log learning hours from clubs, educational visits, and leadership roles, then receive certificates and awards. The school describes this as an entitlement for pupils, rather than an add-on for a small subset. The implication is aspiration-building for a broad intake, including pupils who may not initially see enrichment as “for them”.

The second strand is the sheer specificity of clubs. For Spring 2026, examples include:

• Young Farmers, with pupils taking responsibility for animal care and routines

• Come Cook with me, focused on planning and preparing snacks and meals with safe, hygienic practice

• Music club framed as Newstead’s band, with pupils learning to play instruments and perform familiar songs

• Horse Riding for Year 5, delivered off-site with an explicit skills and stable-care element

• Art Attack and Lego/Mindfulness as structured creative options

That variety matters because it creates multiple “ways to belong”. A child who is not drawn to football still has viable options that develop confidence, practical skills, and independence.

Educational visits also feature prominently. External review references wide and varied trips, including residential opportunities and international visits, positioned as a route to resilience and confidence. The key point is not the headline of a trip, but the expectation that experiences beyond the local area are part of the school’s model.

The academy prospectus sets out a clear day structure: teaching time begins at 8:45am and ends at 3:20pm, with supervised playground time from 8:35am and secure gates locked at 8:45am.

Wraparound care is available on-site through Right Steps. The school states before-school provision runs from 7:30am to 9:00am and after-school provision from 3:15pm to 6:00pm, with published pricing including £2.00 for 7:30am to 8:00am and £2.00 for 8:00am to 9:00am sessions. (As with any wraparound provider, parents should confirm current pricing and booking arrangements directly.)

For transport planning, the most important practical advice is to test your own routine in real time. A school with a narrow drop-off window can feel very different depending on your work schedule and whether you are also coordinating nursery-aged children.

• Competition for places. Reception demand is higher than supply, with the latest published applications and offers indicating oversubscription. Families should build a shortlist with at least one realistic alternative.

• Leadership structure is trust-led. Day-to-day leadership sits with the Head of School, within a broader trust structure. Some families find this consistency reassuring; others prefer a single-site headship model.

• Enrichment can feel busy. The breadth of clubs and trips is a strength, but children who are easily overtired may need careful boundaries around commitments, particularly in Key Stage 2.

• Wraparound is delivered by an external provider. On-site provision is a plus, but families should check booking rules, holiday coverage, and current prices early in the process.

Newstead Primary Academy combines exceptionally high attainment with a curriculum and enrichment model that aims well beyond the basics. The Outstanding inspection across all areas underlines that this is not a narrowly academic environment, and the club programme is unusually specific for a state primary.

It best suits families who want strong academic foundations, clear routines, and a school experience that includes ambitious trips and activities as a normal part of the offer. The primary challenge is admission, so shortlist planning matters as much as enthusiasm.