Galton Valley Primary School
General Information
- Address: Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick, B66 1BA – View on map
- Phone: 01215581690
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mrs Sarah O'Boyle
- Age range: 3-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 53 families put it first for 59 places – 9 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. 1 of the 59 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 11 · 2024 11 · 2025 9 · 2026 9
- Sixth form: No
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Does not apply
- Nursery provision: Yes
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 203
- % eligible for free school meals: 48.6%
- Pupil mix: 7 in 10 (less mixed than the Sandwell average)
- English as an additional language: 85% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 7.1% a year (Sandwell 14%, typical in England 13.9%) Low turnover
- Where they went: about 23% moved to another school, 77% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
- Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)
Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.
Behaviour
Awaiting Data
Across Sandwell: suspensions by reason
- Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 6 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
- Suspensions for bullying: 4 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
- Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)
These are figures for all state primary schools in Sandwell, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.
Attendance
- Overall absence: 4.8%
- Persistently absent pupils: 8.9%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
- Resourced provision for Moderate learning difficultiesOther needs 10 places · 13 pupils at the last count
Places are usually for children with an EHC Plan and are arranged through the council, not the normal school application.
- Pupils on SEN Support: 13.4%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 6.6%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Speech, language and communications needs: 28 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 18 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 13 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 2 pupils
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 13 pupils
- Speech, language and communications needs: 11 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils
- Profound and multiple learning difficulty: 2 pupils
- Physical disability: 1 pupil
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Good 2020 report
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 71% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 6% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: 10 percentage points above the Sandwell average (61%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 73% against an expected 64%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 73%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 79% · Writing 76% · Maths 81% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 81%
- Average test scores: reading 107, maths 108
- Based on: 62 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25
View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.
SATs results over time
Year 6 SATs: joint 19th of 84 junior and primary schools in the area
- #18Old Hill Primary School72%
- =19Devonshire Junior Academy71%
- =19Galton Valley Primary School71%
- =19St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School71%
- =19St Matthew's CofE Primary School71%
Click to see the full ranking
View full Ofsted inspection report
17th of 54 primary schools in Sandwell for Ofsted rating
- #15Eaton Valley Primary SchoolGood
- #16Ferndale Primary SchoolGood
- #17Galton Valley Primary SchoolGood
- #18George Betts Primary AcademyGood
- #19Great Bridge Primary SchoolGood
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £8,176 (2024-25)
7th of 71 primary schools in Sandwell for spending per pupil
- #5Brickhouse Primary School£8,285
- #6St John's Church of England Primary Academy£8,183
- #7Galton Valley Primary School£8,176
- #8Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery£7,909
- #9Glebefields Primary School£7,780
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)