Hagley Primary School Review 2026: Thrive-led wellbeing with strong KS2 outcomes

A large village primary with a calm, purposeful culture and a clear thread of emotional wellbeing running through daily routines. Hagley Primary School combines strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a structured approach to behaviour and personal development, backed by an established Thrive model and pupil leadership roles that start early and feel meaningful. The latest inspection (7 and 8 June 2022) graded the school Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, and Leadership and management.

Results data also points in the same direction. In the most recent published KS2 outcomes, 83.67% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 35.33% reached greater depth, far above the England benchmark of 8%. These figures help explain why the school sits comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England on FindMySchool’s outcomes ranking.

It is also an oversubscribed school. For Reception entry, there were 133 applications for 81 offers in the latest admissions dataset used for this review, which is about 1.64 applications per place. That competition shapes the practical reality for families, especially those moving into the area.

The strongest clue to the school’s character sits in the way pupils describe everyday life: proud of their school, feeling safe, and clear that adults step in quickly if anything goes wrong. Bullying is described as rare, and the wider tone is one of kindness and respect between pupils and staff. Behaviour is consistently described as excellent, with pupils working with focus and enthusiasm in lessons.

Hagley’s approach to wellbeing is more than posters and assemblies. The inspection report explicitly links the school’s Thrive approach to mental health and wellbeing, and it also notes an unusually wide set of leadership roles for pupils, including peer mediators, eco-councillors, and Thrive ambassadors who help younger children settle into school in the morning. That matters for parents because it signals a school that tries to build self-management and responsibility, not only compliance.

Leadership stability also shapes the atmosphere. Mrs Vanessa Payne is listed as Headteacher on the school website, and governing board information states she was appointed head in 2014. A previous Ofsted report also states the headteacher had been in post since January 2014, which aligns with that timeline. In a primary school of this size, that continuity tends to show up in consistent routines, clear expectations, and fewer sudden swings in policy.

A final piece of “feel” comes through in how the school organises identity and belonging. All pupils and staff are placed into one of four houses, Elgar, Simmonds, Plant and Tolkien, chosen for local connections and achievement across arts and sport. This is a simple structure, but in large primaries it can be an effective way to make community feel smaller, and to give pupils an easy language for teamwork and contribution.

Hagley Primary’s most recent published Key Stage 2 data is strong across the headline measures.

Expected standard (reading, writing and maths combined)

83.67% met the expected standard, compared with the England average of 62%. This is a big margin, and for parents it usually translates into two things: more pupils leaving Year 6 secure in core skills, and a classroom pace that can move quickly because fewer children need repeated reteaching.

Higher standard

35.33% reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. This suggests that higher prior attainers are being stretched, not simply kept “comfortable”.

Subject indicators

the average scaled scores were 107 for reading, 107 for maths, and 109 for grammar, punctuation and spelling. Science also looks positive, with 88% meeting the expected standard, above the England figure of 82%.

In FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official performance data), the school is ranked 2,322nd in England and 4th in the Stourbridge local area. That places it above the England average overall, comfortably within the top 25% of primaries in England.

For parents comparing nearby options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools are useful here, because strong schools in the same broad area can still differ sharply in higher standard rates and in the balance between reading and maths.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority, and the inspection report is unusually specific about what that looks like. Phonics happens daily, teachers check which sounds pupils know, and targeted interventions are used when children fall behind. Leaders have also invested in new books so that each class has its own library corner, alongside daily reading aloud to pupils. For families, this combination matters because it indicates both a structured early reading programme and an effort to build reading for pleasure as pupils move up the school.

Maths is also described in a “sequenced and checked” way. The inspection highlights a curriculum that breaks knowledge and skills down carefully, building lesson by lesson, and uses assessment to identify gaps in learning so that they are addressed directly. This tends to suit pupils who like clarity and routine in lessons, and it is often reassuring for parents who worry about children “coasting” in primary years without secure foundations.

Beyond English and maths, the report describes most subjects as well established, including science, geography and physical education, while noting that a small number of subjects were still being fully embedded at the time of inspection. That is not unusual in primaries that have recently revised curriculum planning, but it is still useful for parents to ask, during visits, how subject leadership works in practice and how coverage is monitored across mixed-age interests and varying teacher strengths.

Two curriculum features stand out as distinctive. First, there is a strong outdoor education thread. The school offers Forest School, and it is referenced as part of the wider opportunities pupils receive. Second, inclusion work includes targeted approaches for communication needs, including Signalong referenced on the school’s inclusion pages. These details point to a school that expects learning to happen in multiple modes, not only through formal desk-based work.

Hagley operates within Worcestershire’s two-tier structure for this area, which typically means pupils move from primary (Reception to Year 6) into high school from Year 7.

The practical implication is that Year 6 transition matters. The school’s SEND documentation describes structured transition reviews for Year 6 pupils, often starting in the summer term of Year 5 or the autumn term of Year 6, with the receiving secondary SENCO invited where possible. Families with additional needs should find this reassuring, because it signals early planning and a handover process rather than a late scramble in July.

Which secondary schools pupils progress to will depend on home address, eligibility, and parental preference. Nearby and commonly considered options in the broader area include Hagley Catholic High School (for families seeking a Catholic secondary) and Haybridge High School and Sixth Form, but neither should be assumed as an automatic destination for every child. A sensible next step for parents is to use Worcestershire’s catchment tools to see which schools align with their address, then review each school’s admissions criteria before making assumptions.

Admissions for Reception are coordinated by Worcestershire County Council, rather than handled directly by the school. The published dates for September 2026 Reception entry were: applications opening on Monday 1 September 2025, closing on Thursday 15 January 2026, with offers released on Thursday 16 April 2026. As of today (27 January 2026), that closing date has passed, so families who have not applied should check late application routes as quickly as possible.

Competition for places is real. In the admissions dataset used for this review, the Reception entry route shows 133 applications and 81 offers, with the school recorded as oversubscribed. That is about 1.64 applications per offer, which typically means distance and category criteria become decisive once higher priority groups have been placed.

If you are trying to assess realistic chances, it is worth using FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise home-to-school distance and compare it with recent patterns, while keeping in mind that the last-distance figure is not available in the current dataset for this school. Distances can change materially year to year, especially in popular villages with limited nearby alternatives.

Nursery provision is also referenced in the school’s public information, including funded-hours guidance. Nursery arrangements are usually managed directly, and the nursery information indicates that invitations and applications are commonly handled in January, with confirmation in March or April. Families looking at nursery should rely on the school’s published nursery information for the current process and session structure, and avoid assuming it mirrors Reception admissions.

For open events, the school appears to run tours for prospective parents, often in the autumn term. Where schools publish dates, they can be very specific and they can change annually, so it is best to check the school’s current calendar and admissions communications rather than relying on last year’s schedule.

Pastoral care is a clear strength in the inspection narrative. Pupils are described as happy and safe, and the report explicitly links that to kind peer relationships and consistent adult action when issues arise. The Thrive approach is presented as a key mechanism for supporting mental health and wellbeing, and pupil roles such as Thrive ambassadors show that the model is meant to be lived by pupils, not kept at staff level.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with clear systems for checks, training, and reporting concerns. Leaders are described as responding quickly to concerns and working with families and other agencies when needed. For parents, the key practical question is not whether safeguarding exists, but how consistently it is applied. The evidence here points to a school that treats it as routine professional practice rather than a one-off policy document.

A balanced view should also include the one stated improvement priority in the latest report. For a minority of pupils with SEND, the report indicates that improving reading and writing had not been prioritised enough, resulting in weaker progress in those areas. Parents of children with literacy-linked needs should ask what has changed since 2022: screening, intervention timetables, staff training, and how impact is measured.

Hagley Primary’s enrichment is not presented as a decorative add-on. The inspection report mentions a wide range of opportunities including residential trips, Forest School, and choir events such as Young Voices. Leadership roles like peer mediators and eco-councillors also sit in this wider “beyond lessons” structure, giving pupils responsibilities that build confidence and a sense of contribution.

Music looks particularly well-organised. Curriculum documentation describes specialist music input on a rolling cycle, recorder provision in lower Key Stage 2, and choir availability for older pupils. A more recent music document also states that, as of September 2025, over 100 children attended the choir. For families, that participation level suggests singing is a visible part of school life rather than a niche lunchtime club.

Outdoor learning is another pillar. The school’s Forest School information positions it as a regular, confidence-building approach using woodland or natural environments, and a separate Forest School document links sessions to the Thrive approach and emotional wellbeing. That is valuable for children who regulate better through movement and hands-on tasks, and it can be a strong counterbalance for those who find long seated periods difficult.

Play and physical activity are also being developed through OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning). The school describes itself as embarking on OPAL to improve play environments and inclusion, with the intention of improving behaviour and physical activity through better play structures. That is the kind of initiative that families tend to notice at lunchtime and at the end of the school day, because it changes the texture of breaktimes rather than only changing lesson plans.

The school day begins with pupils arriving from 8.30am, with lessons commencing at 8.45am. The end of day is staged: Reception and Key Stage 1 finish at 3.00pm, and Key Stage 2 finishes at 3.10pm.

Wraparound care is well-defined. The school’s wraparound provision runs 7.30am to 8.30am for Breakfast Club and 3.00pm to 6.00pm for Afterschool Club on weekdays in term time, and it is structured into different rooms by age group (Reception and Year 1, then Years 2 to 6), with separate waiting lists. A recent registration form (September 2025) lists session costs as £6.75 for Breakfast Club and £15.30 for Afterschool Club.

For travel, many families will walk if they live locally, but traffic and parking pressure at drop-off is a known local issue, with the school itself previously discouraging idling and encouraging families to park further away and walk where possible. Public transport options include bus stops adjacent to the school served by routes including the 192 and 318, and rail services from Hagley station for families coming from further afield.

• Oversubscription pressure. Demand exceeds places in the available admissions data, with about 1.64 applications per offer on the Reception entry route. Families moving into the area should treat admission as competitive and plan backups.

• SEND literacy priority. The latest inspection highlights that a minority of pupils with SEND were not supported strongly enough in reading and writing at the time, leading to weaker progress in those areas. Parents should ask how current SEND support is targeted and reviewed.

• Wraparound capacity. Wraparound care is split into age-based rooms with waiting lists, so families who rely on Breakfast Club or Afterschool Club should enquire early and confirm likely availability before making work arrangements.

• Drop-off practicalities. Local congestion around Park Road has been raised as a concern, and daily logistics may be easier for families who can walk, use wraparound, or adjust pickup timing where possible.

Hagley Primary School suits families who want a large, structured primary where wellbeing is built into the operating model, not treated as an occasional initiative. Strong KS2 outcomes, high expectations for behaviour, and clear investment in reading, music, and outdoor learning make it a compelling option. It is best suited to families who value predictable routines and a school culture that asks pupils to take responsibility through roles such as peer mediators and Thrive ambassadors. The limiting factor is admission, because demand is high and places are finite.