School Chooser

St Mary's CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyChurch of England50 pupilsNurseryStaffordshire
School Chooser Score
70
Above
similar schools
Likely range 35 to 89, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 85% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, November 2019
Reached the expected level at 1144%England 63%
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families6%Far fewer than most schools
Places34 spare50 pupils, 84 places
Pupils per teacher10.0School workforce census

St Mary's CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Market Drayton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 50 pupils and room for 84. About 6 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2019.

Mucklestone, Market Drayton, TF9 4DN01630 672126st-marys-mucklestone.staffs.sch.ukMrs Sharon Mannering headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 19 November 2019 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.

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

9 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way. These are the results of St Mary's CofE (A) Primary School, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1144%
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 score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score98.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 88%88%20172018: 80%80%20182023: 22%22%20232025: 44%44%2025
Since 2017: -44%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†StaffordshireEngland
Pupils tested9495108
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths44%22%80%88%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%10%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0104.0111.0109.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score98.0101.0109.0106.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0103.0109.0105.0105.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%78%90%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard44%56%90%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)56%67%80%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.2+2.3+3.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.2+1.1+0.2

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.

† These results are for St Mary's CofE (A) Primary School, the school this one replaced in December 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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 places46 pupils for 84 places, 2024/25
55% full

38 places were empty (45% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 Staffordshire 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 roll50Census January 2026
Places8460% full
Pupils from low-income families6%6% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support26%13 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size12.54 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)5%£3,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls28 / 22
White British pupils82%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 10.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 13.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), emotional and mental health (2), language and communications needs (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll5051
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals6%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%4.7%4.3%4.5%2.1%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.6%3.3%4.1%2.0%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.1%1.0%0.3%0.1%0.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.8%15.2%8.3%5.9%3.9%9.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for St Mary's CofE (A) Primary School, the school this one replaced in December 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.0full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher10.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£68,142
Vacancies0

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.

Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £49k, £957 per pupil
Money in against money out-£11kit spent more than it took in this year

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 m212 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate31 per 1,000 people66% lower than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Newcastle-under-Lyme
Nearest bus stop820 mQuarry Lane, 0 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
Hugo Meynell CofE (VC) Primary SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles206No overall grade 202590Compare
Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.6 miles75Good 202226Compare
Woore Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy3.0 miles81Good 2023Compare
Longlands Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles201Good 202336Compare
Market Drayton Infant & Nursery SchoolAcademy3.8 miles346Good 202246Compare
Market Drayton Junior SchoolAcademy4.1 miles333Good 202233Compare
Adderley CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England4.4 miles46Outstanding 202498Compare
Cheswardine Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy4.7 miles54Good 202363Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Mary's CofE Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats85%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 70 is 29 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 41 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 35 to 89. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 6.8 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.21
2024/25; 51 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 St Mary's CofE Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Mary's CofE Primary School scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 35 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Mary's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Mary's CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 19 November 2019. 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 St Mary's CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 44% 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. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does St Mary's CofE Primary School have?

50 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 84 places, so it is 60% full.

Is St Mary's CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 38 places were empty in 2024/25 (45% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Mary's CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Mary's CofE Primary School?

The average class had 12.5 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
Mucklestone, Market Drayton, TF9 4DN
Telephone
01630 672126
Website
www.st-marys-mucklestone.staffs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sharon Mannering
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lichfield
Multi-academy trust
The Key Educational Trust (5 schools)
Local authority
Staffordshire
Ward
Loggerheads
Constituency
Stafford
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2024 (academy converter)
URN
150077 · LAESTAB 8603446 · UKPRN 10093004
Formerly
St Mary's CofE (A) Primary School

Where these figures come from