School Chooser

Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedChurch of England196 pupils Free breakfast clubTelfordTelford and Wrekin
School Chooser Score
5
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 9
Out of 100. Better than 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1125%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families54%Far more than most schools
Places44 spare196 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher15.1School workforce census

Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Telford for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 196 pupils and room for 240. About 54 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 5 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Leonard Close, Winifreds Drive, Donnington, Telford, TF2 8BH01952 386660donningtonwood.comMr Robert Fox headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
19 April 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1125%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score99.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score97.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 32%32%20172018: 47%47%20182019: 48%48%20192023: 35%35%20232024: 46%46%20242025: 25%25%2025
Since 2017: -7%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Telford and WrekinEngland
Pupils tested565660484741
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths25%46%35%48%47%32%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%2%3%8%19%2%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score99.0102.0101.098.0101.0100.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.0100.099.0102.0102.098.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0103.0101.0102.0104.0102.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard38%63%52%48%55%46%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard38%54%47%63%64%59%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)54%79%67%60%74%76%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.5-3.8-1.9-2.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.7-1.3+0.2-2.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged15%31%25%32%48%27%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged41%67%44%65%46%37%

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 4 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
15%41%
Gap 26 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
18%29%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
35%25%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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.

Plenty of spare places206 pupils for 243 places, 2024/25
85% full

37 places were empty (15% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 Telford and Wrekin 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 roll196Census January 2026
Places24082% full
Pupils from low-income families54%54% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English46%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%44 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.58 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)55%£168,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls109 / 87
White British pupils50%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (19), Moderate learning difficulty (15), language and communications needs (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll196207226211222222
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals54%56%61%54%48%43%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language46%42%35%27%29%24%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%21%17%15%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%2%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.5%6.5%5.8%6.3%5.2%3.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.0%3.6%4.7%4.0%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%2.5%2.1%1.7%1.2%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.2%19.8%18.6%19.3%16.6%3.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.90.92.80.51.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.0full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher15.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,602
Teachers who left in the year17%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£7,916England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£8,488England £7,697. Total £1.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,772England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £164k, £791 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£118kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,916spent 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 m35812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate95 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Nearest bus stop160 mLeonard Close, 23 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
Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery CentreCouncil530 m182Good 202310Compare
Wrockwardine Wood Infant School and NurseryCouncil700 m182Good 201983Compare
St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery CentreChurch of England810 m291Not inspected50Compare
Wrockwardine Wood Church of England Junior SchoolChurch of England860 m240Good 202257Compare
St Luke's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy.Academy930 m152Good 202369Compare
Teagues Bridge Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles258Report card 202616Compare
Muxton Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles368Requires improvement 202415Compare
Wombridge Primary SchoolCouncil1.5 miles294Good 202278Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats8%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 5 is 42 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 47 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 5 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 5% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 9. 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
-0.34
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 56 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.16
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.15
DfE progress measure; 56 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 222 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.18
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 56 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 Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School a good school?

The figures are weak. Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School scores 5 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 9, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School not judged at its last full inspection on 22 October 2024.

How good are Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 25% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School have?

196 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 82% full.

Is Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 37 places were empty in 2024/25 (15% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School?

The average class had 24.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Donnington Wood CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School 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
Leonard Close, Winifreds Drive, Donnington, Telford, TF2 8BH
Telephone
01952 386660
Website
www.donningtonwood.com
Headteacher
Mr Robert Fox
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
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lichfield
Local authority
Telford and Wrekin
Ward
Donnington
Constituency
The Wrekin
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
123473 · LAESTAB 8943035 · UKPRN 10080556

Where these figures come from