Crackley Bank Primary School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Blackthorn Place, Newcastle, ST5 7BEOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Crackley Bank Primary School is a primary school in Newcastle for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 451 schools in Staffordshire. It ranks 6th of 15 primary schools in Newcastle. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 21 March 2023, report published 21 May 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 March 2023

Pupils say that it is easy to make friends at this school. Inspectors agree. Pupils are welcoming, cheerful and full of smiles and good-natured chatter. They enjoy their lessons, respect their teachers and feel safe at school. This is because the staff at Crackley Bank Primary are friendly and supportive. They look after pupils and their families. In turn, pupils, parents and carers say lots of positive things about the school, and the 'Crackley Crew' that work there. Staff place a high value on good manners and respect for others. Pupils usually respond well to this. They are polite, proud of their school and do their best. If any pupils find it hard to manage their behaviour, staff help them find ways to improve. Most of the time, the school is a calm, orderly place in which to work and learn. Bullying is not tolerated, and staff stop it if it happens. Pupils, too, are very supportive of one another and are quick to help out if anyone is upset. Reading, mathematics and many other subjects are organised and taught well. In addition, staff introduce them to new places, activities and ideas that broaden their horizons.

What the school should improve

  • In all subjects, leaders have identified the crucial knowledge that pupils should learn, but staff are not always sure what to focus on in lessons. Sometimes, they try to cover too much, miss opportunities to deepen learning or do not check the right things before introducing new learning. Leaders should continue to support staff with further training and/or guidance so that they can identify the most important knowledge to focus on in individual lessons or sequences of lessons.
  • The quality of pupils' writing could be better. In part, this is a result of the disruptions to learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders should continue to focus on developing pupils' good writing habits and the quality of their writing across the curriculum.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

18 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%

78%, 16 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths6%

6%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score109

109, 3 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score105

105, the same as the England average.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

198 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals60.6%

60.6%, 34.1 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language11.6%

11.6%, 10 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support15.7%

15.7%, 0.9 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan0.5%

0.5%, 5.5 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Crackley Bank Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Chesterton Primary School0.5 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard38% met the expected standard
St Chad's CofE (C) Primary School0.5 milesOfsted: Good76% met the expected standard
Churchfields Primary School0.8 milesOfsted judgements: Good44% met the expected standard
Sun Academy Bradwell0.8 milesOfsted: Good77% met the expected standard
Bursley Academy0.9 milesOfsted: Requires improvement67% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
COLLECTIVE VISION TRUST
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Ms Sara Stevenson
Address
Blackthorn Place, Newcastle, ST5 7BE
Local authority
Staffordshire
URN
143349

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.