School Chooser

Bilston Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedChurch of England456 pupilsBilstonWolverhampton
School Chooser Score
62
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 42 to 78
Out of 100. Better than 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, July 2024
Reached the expected level at 1169%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families52%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull456 pupils, 454 places
Pupils per teacher21.5School workforce census

Bilston Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Bilston for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 456 pupils, 2 more than it has places for. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Albany Crescent, Bilston, WV14 0HU01902 558690Mr Gary Gentle headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 17 July 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

62 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1169%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 72%72%20172018: 62%62%20182019: 57%57%20192023: 62%62%20232024: 44%44%20242025: 69%69%2025
Since 2017: -3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WolverhamptonEngland
Pupils tested626461612929
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths69%44%62%57%62%72%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%2%10%7%0%14%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0101.0105.0103.0103.0108.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0102.0104.0102.0103.0106.0104.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0102.0104.0105.0108.0108.0105.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard74%67%79%70%69%86%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard76%63%70%66%83%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)74%66%69%74%76%72%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.7+1.7-0.3+3.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.9+0.4+0.7+1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged62%37%57%58%59%78%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged85%54%71%56%67%64%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
62%85%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
69%70%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
63%69%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
7%8%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

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.

Nearly full457 pupils for 478 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 Wolverhampton 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 roll456Census January 2026
Places454100% full
Pupils from low-income families52%52% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English27%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%96 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.516 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils19%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)50%£356,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls242 / 214
White British pupils30%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (66), emotional and mental health (18), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), Moderate learning difficulty (6), Other difficulty or disability (2), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll456460458437440425
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals52%51%50%52%51%47%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language27%27%29%29%29%30%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%17%16%14%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%4.6%5.4%5.3%3.4%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%3.5%4.1%3.9%2.2%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%1.1%1.3%1.5%1.2%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.2%9.3%13.5%12.5%5.7%9.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.91.80.50.50.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions02000

Staff and money

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

Teachers21.2full-time equivalent, 23 people
Pupils per teacher21.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,687
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.02024/25

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£7,181England £7,738. Total £3.3m
Income per pupil£7,348England £7,697. Total £3.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,093England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £378k, £822 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£77kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,181spent 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 m43012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate106 per 1,000 people17% higher than the England average
Typical house price£217,500Wolverhampton

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
Stowlawn Primary SchoolCouncil980 m428Good 202329Compare
Villiers Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles662Good 202272Compare
East Park AcademyAcademy0.8 miles671Not inspected19Compare
Parkfield Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles191Report card 202570Compare
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary SchoolCatholic0.9 miles242No overall grade 202445Compare
Loxdale Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles450Not inspected93Compare
Lanesfield Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles283Good 202368Compare
Field View Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles427Good 202329Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bilston Church of England Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats71%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 62 is 25 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 37 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bilston Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Tameside Primary AcademyAcademy4.0 miles388Good 202380Compare
Twickenham Primary SchoolAcademy9.6 miles439Good 202288Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 78. 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 years25%in line
-0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 62 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.11
DfE progress measure; 62 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 413 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 62 pupils
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 Bilston Church of England Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Bilston Church of England Primary School scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Bilston Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bilston Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 17 July 2024.

How good are Bilston Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 69% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Bilston Church of England Primary School have?

456 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 454 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Bilston Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Bilston Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bilston Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 28.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 19% of classes 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
Albany Crescent, Bilston, WV14 0HU
Telephone
01902 558690
Headteacher
Mr Gary Gentle
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lichfield
Local authority
Wolverhampton
Ward
Ettingshall North
Constituency
Wolverhampton South East
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1996
URN
130305 · LAESTAB 3363024 · UKPRN 10071078
Formerly
St Edward's Nursery School, Stonefield Junior and Infant School, St Leonard's CofE Junior and Infant School

Where these figures come from