School Chooser

Carmountside Primary Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy196 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubStoke-on-Trent
School Chooser Score
12
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 26, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2022
Reached the expected level at 1132%England 63%
Attendance93.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families62%Far more than most schools
Places14 spare196 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher16.4School workforce census

Carmountside Primary Academy is a converter academy in Stoke-on-Trent for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 196 pupils and room for 210. About 62 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Woodhead Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 8DJ01782 234676carmountsideprimary.org.ukMrs Lisa Challinor headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 5 July 2022, 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

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1132%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 25%25%20172018: 46%46%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 23%23%20232024: 40%40%20242025: 32%32%2025
Since 2017: +7%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Stoke-on-TrentEngland
Pupils tested313030312624
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths32%40%23%55%46%25%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%0%3%3%4%8%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0102.0101.0101.0100.099.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.099.098.0102.0102.098.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0100.0100.0101.098.0101.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard61%70%50%61%50%42%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard55%57%33%65%73%38%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)65%67%67%71%62%50%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.5-2.4-2.8-3.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.7-2.3+0.2-4.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged26%44%9%47%38%7%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%36%32%67%60%50%

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
26%50%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
23%39%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%3%
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.

Plenty of spare places178 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
85% full

32 places were empty (15% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

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. Every child who applied got a place (11 offers for 30 places).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary30111711all offeredLA
2025 Primary30182218all offeredLA

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 roll196Census January 2026
Places21093% full
Pupils from low-income families62%62% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support31%60 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.89 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)69%£173,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls99 / 97
White British pupils79%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (36), Moderate learning difficulty (13), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll196222233238257260
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals62%61%51%45%45%44%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%4%4%4%3%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support34%26%29%33%34%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school22.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.7%7.0%7.5%9.0%8.8%5.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%3.0%3.1%3.3%4.9%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%4.0%4.4%5.7%3.9%3.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence22.5%26.3%26.8%34.8%34.4%13.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.73.42.13.14.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00001

Staff and money

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

Teachers11.9full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher16.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,480
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.12024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,698England £7,128. Total £1.7m
Income per pupil£7,842England £7,587. Total £1.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,653England £3,405
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £89k, £402 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£32kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,698spent 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 m24712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate116 per 1,000 people28% higher than the England average
Typical house price£155,000Stoke-on-Trent
Nearest bus stop200 mUplands Road, 11 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
Milton Primary AcademyAcademy760 m404Report card 202675Compare
Abbey Hulton Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles188Good 20239Compare
Hillside Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles224Good 202377Compare
Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic AcademyAcademy0.8 miles239Outstanding 202370Compare
Holden Lane AcademyAcademy0.8 miles222Good 202492Compare
Kingsland CofE AcademyAcademy1.1 miles477Report card 202628Compare
Norton-Le-Moors Primary AcademyAcademy1.3 miles233Good 202273Compare
Greenways Primary AcademyAcademy1.3 miles234Not inspected92Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Carmountside Primary Academy 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.

Beats31%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 12 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 22 · highest 90100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Carmountside Primary Academy, 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
Crackley Bank Primary SchoolAcademy4.8 miles198Good 202344Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 26. 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 years25%well below
-0.33
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.20
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.13
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.12
2024/25; 173 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 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 Carmountside Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Carmountside Primary Academy scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 26, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Carmountside Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Carmountside Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 5 July 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Carmountside Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 32% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Carmountside Primary Academy have?

196 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Carmountside Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 32 places were empty in 2024/25 (15% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Carmountside Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Carmountside Primary Academy?

The average class had 21.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Carmountside Primary Academy have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Woodhead Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 8DJ
Telephone
01782 234676
Website
www.carmountsideprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Lisa Challinor
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
The Societas Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Stoke-on-Trent
Ward
Abbey Hulton
Constituency
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2013 (academy converter)
URN
139846 · LAESTAB 8612040 · UKPRN 10038661
Formerly
Carmountside Primary School

Where these figures come from