School Chooser

Blanford Mere Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil311 pupilsKingswinfordDudley
School Chooser Score
77
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 88
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, February 2023
Reached the expected level at 1177%England 63%
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Places4 spare311 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher20.6School workforce census

Blanford Mere Primary School is a council school in Kingswinford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 311 pupils and room for 315. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Mimosa Walk, Kingswinford, DY6 7EA01384 818365blanford.dudley.sch.ukMrs Kerry Crook headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 8 February 2023 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1177%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
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: 77%77%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 76%76%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 69%69%20242025: 77%77%2025
Since 2017: +0%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DudleyEngland
Pupils tested444545343243
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths77%69%67%76%81%77%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%0%16%12%13%7%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0107.0106.0105.0105.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0105.0105.0107.0105.0106.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0108.0108.0108.0107.0108.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard89%80%84%88%84%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard82%82%71%91%91%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)89%78%91%91%94%79%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.4+0.3-0.5-0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.5+0.3+0.0+1.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%50%55%80%55%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged82%72%71%75%84%

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. 1 of the 3 gaps is 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
50%82%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
75%80%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%9%
Gap 9 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.

Full313 pupils for 307 places, 2024/25
102% full

The school is full, with 6 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 0.8 miles away in 2026, 0.9 miles away in 2025, 2.1 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 0.8 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4543116450.8 milesLA
2025 Primary455194450.9 milesLA
2024 Primary454886452.1 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 0.9 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 0.9 miles of the school£265,000half sold for £225k to £326k
Homes sold551December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+12%a typical home in the district sells for £237,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll311Census January 2026
Places31599% full
Pupils from low-income families9%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%49 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.912 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)9%£41,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls170 / 141
White British pupils79%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (18), emotional and mental health (17), Moderate learning difficulty (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Physical disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll311311313312296284
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals9%9%9%12%11%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%4%3%2%3%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%10%12%14%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%0%1%2%

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 school5.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%4.3%5.4%5.8%3.2%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%2.8%3.6%4.3%2.3%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.5%1.8%1.4%0.9%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.9%8.1%15.2%14.1%7.4%2.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.30.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers15.1full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher20.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,404
Teachers who left in the year16%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.12024/25

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£6,261England £7,738. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£6,570England £7,697. Total £2.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,381England £3,480
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£44k, -£140 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£96kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,261spent 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 m19312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate63 per 1,000 people31% lower than the England average
Typical house price£236,000Dudley

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
St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy560 m170Report card 20263Compare
Dawley Brook Primary SchoolCouncil980 m231Good 202429Compare
Church of the Ascension CofE Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles303Report card 202660Compare
Maidensbridge Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles236Good 202283Compare
Crestwood Park Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles210Good 202236Compare
Bromley Hills Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles282Not inspected27Compare
Glynne Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles474Good 202380Compare
The Bromley-Pensnett Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles243Good 202325Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Blanford Mere Primary School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 77 is 17 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 60 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 88. 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%above
+0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 44 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.11
DfE progress measure; 44 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 273 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 44 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 Blanford Mere Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Blanford Mere Primary School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 88, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Blanford Mere Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Blanford Mere Primary School good at its last full inspection on 8 February 2023.

How good are Blanford Mere Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 77% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Blanford Mere Primary School have?

311 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 99% full.

Is Blanford Mere Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 0.8 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Blanford Mere Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Blanford Mere Primary School?

The average class had 25.9 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
Mimosa Walk, Kingswinford, DY6 7EA
Telephone
01384 818365
Website
www.blanford.dudley.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Kerry Crook
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Dudley
Ward
Kingswinford North & Wall Heath
Constituency
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
103792 · LAESTAB 3322077 · UKPRN 10076385

Where these figures come from