School Chooser

Grove Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy441 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubWolverhampton
School Chooser Score
32
Below
similar schools
Likely range 18 to 51, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 43% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance94.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families59%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull441 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.1School workforce census

Grove Primary Academy is a sponsored academy in Wolverhampton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 441 pupils, 21 more than it has places for. About 59 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 32 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 43% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Caledonia Road, Wolverhampton, WV2 1HZ01902 925702Mr Philip Salisbury headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 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

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1157%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 52%52%20172018: 55%55%20182019: 49%49%20192023: 37%37%20232024: 49%49%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: +5%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WolverhamptonEngland
Pupils tested615960595549
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%49%37%49%55%52%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%5%8%5%4%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0103.0102.0102.0102.0102.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0101.0101.0104.0103.0104.0104.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0104.0103.0105.0106.0105.0105.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%73%58%51%60%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard74%69%53%71%67%69%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)66%58%53%64%78%73%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9+1.4-2.0+5.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.5+1.5-1.0+4.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged42%49%27%50%58%62%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%50%52%48%50%44%

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
42%75%
Gap 33 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
55%61%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
65%57%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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.

Nearly full402 pupils for 420 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 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 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 roll441Census January 2026
Places420105% full
Pupils from low-income families55%59% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English62%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%76 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%11 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.712 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils8%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)57%£359,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls207 / 234
White British pupils15%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (53), Moderate learning difficulty (27), emotional and mental health (7).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll441460451451448416
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals55%50%53%49%46%44%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language62%58%60%61%60%64%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%14%10%11%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school15.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.8%6.2%7.6%7.8%6.1%4.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.2%3.7%3.5%2.3%1.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.8%3.0%3.9%4.3%3.8%2.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence15.1%18.6%26.3%27.0%20.3%11.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.30.91.60.21.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00001

Staff and money

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

Teachers21.1full-time equivalent, 26 people
Pupils per teacher20.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,234
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

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£6,954England £7,128. Total £3.1m
Income per pupil£7,210England £7,587. Total £3.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,308England £3,405
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £539k, £1,229 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£112kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,954spent 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 m55312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate120 per 1,000 people32% 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
SS Mary and John's Catholic Primary AcademyAcademy160 m229Good 202483Compare
St Luke's Church of England Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England860 m477Not inspected82Compare
Graiseley Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles230Requires improvement 20246Compare
Parkfield Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles191Report card 202570Compare
St Teresa's Catholic Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles152Good 202445Compare
Holy Rosary Catholic Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles225Report card 202589Compare
Eastfield Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles400Good 202330Compare
The Royal School, WolverhamptonFree school0.9 miles1,488Not inspected51Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Grove Primary Academy 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.

Beats43%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 32 is 6 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 37 · highest 99100

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 Grove 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
Woden Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles448No overall grade 202544Compare
Caldmore Primary AcademyAcademy5.8 miles436No overall grade 202546Compare
Rookery SchoolAcademy8.8 miles453Good 202337Compare
Grove SchoolCouncil9.2 miles606Good 202337Compare
Westminster Primary SchoolAcademy9.9 miles464Not inspected66Compare
Heathfield Primary SchoolAcademy10.0 miles483Good 202485Compare
Brookfields Primary SchoolAcademy10.3 miles391Good 202350Compare
Aston Tower Community Primary SchoolAcademy11.0 miles326Not inspected73Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 32 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 32% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 18 to 51. 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%below
-0.18
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 61 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.10
DfE progress measure; 61 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.13
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 372 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 61 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 Grove Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Grove Primary Academy scores 32 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 43% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 18 to 51, 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 Grove Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Grove Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 8 May 2024.

How good are Grove Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Grove Primary Academy have?

441 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 105% full.

Is Grove Primary Academy oversubscribed?

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

What is attendance like at Grove Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Grove Primary Academy?

The average class had 27.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Grove 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
Caledonia Road, Wolverhampton, WV2 1HZ
Telephone
01902 925702
Headteacher
Mr Philip Salisbury
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
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
St Martin's Multi Academy Trust (4 schools)
Local authority
Wolverhampton
Ward
Ettingshall North
Constituency
Wolverhampton South East
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2016 (new provision)
URN
142680 · LAESTAB 3362019 · UKPRN 10056096
Formerly
Grove Primary School

Where these figures come from