The Priory Primary School
General Information
- Address: Dorsett Road, Friar Park, Wednesbury, WS10 0JG – View on map
- Phone: 01215561383
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mr Phillip Butcher
- Age range: 3-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 60 families put it first for 60 places – 10 for every 10 places. 97% of them were offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 11 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
- Sixth form: No
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Does not apply
- Nursery provision: Yes
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 213
- % eligible for free school meals: 51.0%
- Pupil mix: 6 in 10 (less mixed than the Sandwell average)
- English as an additional language: 18% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 10.6% a year (Sandwell 14%, typical in England 13.9%)
- Where they went: about 57% moved to another school, 43% 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.
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: 5.0%
- Persistently absent pupils: 11.3%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision
- Pupils on SEN Support: 26.2%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 4.6%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Speech, language and communications needs: 67 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 33 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 15 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 3 pupils
- Physical disability: 2 pupils
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Speech, language and communications needs: 7 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 7 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 5 pupils
- Physical disability: 1 pupil
- Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Ofsted report card January 2026
Ofsted's new report cards grade each part of school life separately, instead of giving one overall word.
- Safeguarding Met
- Inclusion Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
- Achievement Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour Strong standard
- Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard
- Early years Expected standard
- Leadership and governance Strong standard
Before this, under the old system, Ofsted rated the school Good (2021). The report card above replaces that grade.
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 63% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 10% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: in line with the Sandwell average (61%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 59% against an expected 55%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 59%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 70% · Writing 73% · Maths 75% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 63%
- Average test scores: reading 102, maths 104
- Based on: 60 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 38th of 84 junior and primary schools in the area
- =38Lightwoods Primary Academy63%
- =38Lyng Primary School63%
- =38The Priory Primary School63%
- =43All Saints CofE Primary School62%
- =43Annie Lennard Primary School62%
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £7,486 (2024-25)
15th of 71 primary schools in Sandwell for spending per pupil
- #13Rood End Primary School£7,692
- #14St Pauls Church of England Academy£7,646
- #15The Priory Primary School£7,486
- #16St James CofE Primary School£7,448
- #17Langley Primary School£7,418
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)