Butts Primary School Review 2026, community-centred primary with strong KS2 outcomes

A clear thread runs through daily life here, One school, one community, and it shows up in everything from curriculum intent to the way pupils are given responsibility through ambassador roles. The school serves families in and around Pelsall, with Nursery through Year 6 on one site, and a published focus on inclusion, diversity and equity alongside wellbeing.

Academic outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 are a headline strength. In 2024, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 28% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%.

Admission is competitive. For Reception entry, 45 applications were made for 28 offers in the most recent published admissions data which aligns with the school’s own messaging that families should use all three preferences when applying through the local authority.

Community is not treated as a slogan. It is built into the way pupils are expected to behave, how staff frame belonging, and how the curriculum is planned around “community concepts” as a guiding idea across subjects.

Pastoral culture is reinforced through explicit work on wellbeing. The most recent inspection describes pupils feeling safe, valued, and part of the school community, and also points to warm relationships between pupils and staff. On the school’s own parent-facing pages, the message is an open-door stance, with senior staff present at the doors morning and after school, plus regular coffee mornings that focus on practical parenting themes.

Leadership is structured across a wider federation. The headteacher is listed as Angela Hill, while day-to-day senior leadership on the school site also includes an interim headteacher, Mrs D Marusamy, alongside assistant head and phase leads. Families usually experience this as a layered model, with consistent oversight and named leads for safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

This review uses the FindMySchool ranking based on official outcomes data. Ranked 2,075th in England and 6th in Walsall for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), the school sits above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England on this measure.

Key Stage 2 attainment in 2024 is strong across the core suite. Reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) scaled scores are all above the typical benchmark of 100, with reading at 107, mathematics at 108, and GPS at 109. In combined attainment, 83% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 62%.

The higher standard is another differentiator. At 28% achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, the figure is well above the England average of 8%. That tends to indicate the school is not only getting a large majority over the line, but also pushing a meaningful slice further on.

One nuance worth understanding is science. The published figure here is 76% at the expected standard in science, below the England average of 82%. In practice, parents should treat this as a prompt to ask how science knowledge is sequenced and revisited, especially given the latest inspection emphasis on ensuring learning sequences and end points are precise across all subjects.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view results side-by-side, rather than trying to reconcile different presentations across multiple sites.

Curriculum planning is described in terms of sequencing and clear knowledge building, with the school setting out a “golden thread” approach through its community concepts, and an explicit emphasis on wellbeing, inclusion, diversity and equity as curriculum themes. For parents, the practical implication is that assemblies, lessons and enrichment are meant to connect to the lives pupils lead locally, not just abstract content.

In the classroom, the most recent inspection highlights clear teacher explanation, effective use of vocabulary, and deliberate checking for understanding through questioning. Reading is positioned as central, supported by a well-resourced library and pupil leadership roles such as reading ambassadors who help promote reading activities across the school.

Support for pupils with SEND is framed around early identification and staff training, with most pupils accessing the same curriculum as their peers and more bespoke support for pupils with complex needs. The inspection also describes adaptations and additional resources being used to help pupils complete work successfully, which usually matters most to families when it is consistent across subjects rather than dependent on individual teachers.

For a state primary, the clearest indicator of transition destinations is the school’s own published list of where Year 6 pupils moved for secondary in a recent cohort. In September 2023, the largest group went to Aldridge School, followed by Ormiston Shelfield, Blue Coat Church of England Performing Arts College, and smaller numbers to other local options. Two pupils moved on to Queen Mary’s Grammar School, which shows selective routes are part of the picture for a small minority each year.

This pattern matters for families because it suggests most pupils transition into mainstream local secondaries, with grammar as an option for some. The school also supports families with the process through a dedicated secondary transfer information page and documents, which can be helpful for deadline tracking and decision-making.

Reception entry is coordinated through Walsall local authority. For September 2026 entry, the on-time application deadline was 15 January 2026, and the school also repeats this date in its own admissions guidance. Offers for on-time applicants are stated as being issued on 16 April 2026.

Oversubscription criteria are set out clearly. Priority begins with children in care, then siblings, then medical or social grounds supported in writing, and then distance from home to school measured in a straight line. The school also flags that Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, so families using Nursery as an entry route still need to submit a separate Reception application through the local authority.

Demand is real rather than theoretical. provided, there were 45 applications for 28 offers for the relevant primary entry route, which equates to around 1.61 applications per place, and the school is marked as oversubscribed. That typically means families should treat this as a preference, not an assumption, even if they live nearby.

Parents should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check travel practicality and keep a shortlist, because allocation depends on both demand patterns and the oversubscription rules in any given year.

Nursery admissions are handled differently. The school describes a waiting-list approach, no specific catchment restriction for this age, and home visits to support transition into Nursery. Open days for Nursery are also referenced, but families should check the school’s current communications for exact dates.

Wellbeing is not confined to one-off events. The inspection references structured personal development work, including pupils learning about developing a “happy mind” and talking positively about meditation. That points to an approach that tries to give pupils explicit language and strategies for self-regulation, not just behavioural rules.

The school’s parent resources reinforce the same direction. There are coffee mornings that focus on practical themes, including tailored support for families where English is an additional language, and a stated expectation that parents can raise concerns through an open-door approach.

Safeguarding is treated as a baseline. The latest Ofsted inspection (14 to 15 May 2024) confirmed the school continues to be Good and that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Clubs and enrichment are deliberately used to extend learning, not just to fill time after school. The school lists a structured weekly programme with year-group targeting. Examples include ICT Coding Club for Years 3 to 6, Gardening Club for Years 3 to 6, Art Club, Tag Rugby, Football Training, and a Music or Choir club that spans multiple year groups. All clubs are stated to finish at 4:20pm, which is useful for planning pick-up and wraparound routines.

Music has both curriculum and extra-curricular routes. The school describes regular singing, end-of-term performances, and participation in wider choir events through the local music hub. In instrumental learning, it references keyboard teaching for Years 4 and 5 through a local provider, alongside opportunities to explore other instruments.

Facilities support outdoor and practical learning. Published features include a hall with stage, a music hub, a well-stocked library, a pond, a cricket strip, a trim trail, an outdoor classroom, and a school garden or allotment. For many pupils, these are the spaces where confidence grows fastest, especially those who learn best through making, moving, and doing.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day for Reception to Year 6 is stated as 08:45 to 15:20, with registers officially closed at 09:00. Breakfast Club is offered, with doors opening at 08:00, and the school also runs after-school clubs and tuition groups, with clubs finishing at 16:20.

Travel and parking arrangements are not set out in detail in the sources reviewed. Most families will want to do a dry run at drop-off and pick-up times to understand traffic flow and walking routes, particularly if they are balancing Nursery and older siblings across different start times.

• Oversubscription reality. With more applications than offers in the most recent published entry-route data, and the school describing distance-based allocation after priority groups, admission is not something families should assume, even with Nursery attendance.

• Nursery is not a guaranteed pathway. The school is explicit that a Nursery place does not guarantee Reception, which can catch families out if they treat Nursery as automatic progression.

• Science result sits below England average in the published data. Parents who care about broad balance may want to ask how science knowledge is revisited and assessed across the year, and how curriculum sequencing is being tightened across non-core subjects.

• Leadership model is layered. With an executive headteacher listed as headteacher and an interim headteacher named on the school site, families who value continuity may want to ask how responsibilities are split, and who they should expect to see at key meetings.

For families who want a community-first primary with strong Key Stage 2 outcomes and a clear emphasis on reading, wellbeing and inclusion, this is a compelling option. It suits pupils who respond well to structured expectations, enjoy taking responsibility through roles like ambassadors, and benefit from a curriculum that tries to connect learning to lived experience. The main constraint is admission, competition for places is the limiting factor.