School Chooser

Barlaston CofE (VC) First School

Primary · ages 3-9MixedChurch of England113 pupilsNurseryStoke-on-TrentStaffordshire
School Chooser Score
70
Above
similar schools
Likely range 41 to 87, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 77% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places37 spare113 pupils, 150 places
Pupils per teacher14.9School workforce census
Pupils on roll113Census January 2026

Barlaston CofE (VC) First School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Stoke-on-Trent for boys and girls aged 3 to 9. It has 113 pupils and room for 150. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 77% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Barlaston CE (VC) First School, Broughton Crescent, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9DB01782 372543barlaston.staffs.sch.ukMr John Gordon headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 14 May 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places118 pupils for 149 places, 2024/25
79% full

31 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Staffordshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll113Census January 2026
Places15075% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support6%7 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size22.65 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)7%£12,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls52 / 61
White British pupils89%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 19.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (5), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll113122120122118137
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%13%17%15%17%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%2%1%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%5%9%14%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%2%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%4.6%4.6%4.4%3.2%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.5%3.4%3.6%2.0%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%1.1%1.2%0.8%1.1%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.0%9.2%12.8%9.7%10.1%6.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.01.60.92.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00011

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.6full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher14.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,284
Teachers who left in the year5%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.52022/23

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,771England £7,738. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£8,322England £7,697. Total £1.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,789England £3,480
Money in reserve-26%In the red: -£265k, -£2,172 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£55kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,771spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people39% lower than the England average
Typical house price£255,000Stafford
Nearest bus stop710 mPlume of Feathers PH, 0 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Tittensor CofE (C) First SchoolChurch of England1.4 miles78Good 202358Compare
Newstead Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles405Outstanding 202498Compare
Ash Green Primary AcademyAcademy1.9 miles460Report card 202652Compare
Oulton CofE First SchoolAcademy2.0 miles77Not inspectedCompare
St Matthews Church of England AcademyAcademy2.1 miles68Report card 202643Compare
Sutherland Primary AcademyAcademy2.3 miles450Good 202342Compare
Christ Church AcademyAcademy2.4 miles540Report card 202658Compare
Meir Heath AcademyAcademy2.5 miles273Not inspected72Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Barlaston CofE (VC) First School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats77%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 70 is 15 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 55 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 41 to 87. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.03
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.24
2024/25; 100 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Barlaston CofE (VC) First School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Barlaston CofE (VC) First School scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 77% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 41 to 87, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Barlaston CofE (VC) First School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Barlaston CofE (VC) First School good at its last full inspection on 14 May 2024.

How many pupils does Barlaston CofE (VC) First School have?

113 pupils aged 3 to 9 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 150 places, so it is 75% full.

Is Barlaston CofE (VC) First School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 31 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Barlaston CofE (VC) First School?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Barlaston CofE (VC) First School?

The average class had 22.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Barlaston CE (VC) First School, Broughton Crescent, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9DB
Telephone
01782 372543
Website
www.barlaston.staffs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr John Gordon
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-9, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lichfield
Local authority
Staffordshire
Ward
Barlaston
Constituency
Stoke-on-Trent South
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
124233 · LAESTAB 8603027 · UKPRN 10078765

Where these figures come from