The Willows Primary School is a primary school in Stoke-on-Trent, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a community school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
The Willows Primary School currently has around 690 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 50% boys and 50% girls. Around 23.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 5%. Persistent absence is recorded at 10.6%. The school also includes resourced provision, supporting 17 pupils.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (65.7%).
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Greatbatch Avenue, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7JY |
| Website: | www.willowsprimary.com |
| Telephone: | 01782233280 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Sarah Thursfield |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 123999 |
Ofsted inspection date: 10/06/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 690 |
| Number of Pupils: | 690 |
| Number of Boys: | 345 |
| Number of Girls: | 345 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 5% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 10.6% | 8.2% |
| White British | 65.70% | 453 |
| Pakistani | 9.30% | 64 |
| African | 4.50% | 31 |
| Indian | 4.30% | 30 |
| Other White | 4.30% | 30 |
| Other Asian | 2.80% | 19 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.50% | 17 |
| Other Mixed | 1.70% | 12 |
| Unclassified | 1.60% | 11 |
| White and Asian | 1.00% | 7 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.90% | 6 |
| White and Black African | 0.60% | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.40% | 3 |
| Irish | 0.10% | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.10% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.10% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penkhull Nursery School 4 St Christopher Avenue , Penkhull ST4 5NA | - not rated | 748 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Field House Nursery School Munro Street , West End ST4 5HA | - not rated | 1,081 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Thomas Boughey Nursery School College Road , Shelton ST4 2DQ | - not rated | 1,512 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Langdale Nursery School Earls Drive , Clayton ST5 3QH | - not rated | 2,493 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Willows Primary School Greatbatch Avenue , Penkhull ST4 7JY | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Penkhull Infants' School Princes Road , Penkhull ST4 7JS | - not rated | 137 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School North Street , ST4 7DG | 3out of 4 | 856 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School North Street , ST4 7DG | - not rated | 856 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Springfield Primary School Springfields Road , Trent Vale ST4 6SB | - not rated | 1,159 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's CofE (A) High School and International Language College Queen's Road , Penkhull ST4 7LG | - not rated | 375 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Thistley Hough High School Newcastle Lane , Penkhull ST4 5JJ | - not rated | 677 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Thistley Hough Academy Thistley Hough , Penkhull ST4 5JJ | 3out of 4 | 677 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Joseph's College London Road , Trent Vale ST4 5NT | - not rated | 1,991 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Joseph's College London Road , Trent Vale ST4 5NT | - not rated | 1,991 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College Leek Road , ST4 2RU | - not rated | 1,360 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| City of Stoke-On-Trent Sixth Form College Leek Road , ST4 2RU | - not rated | 1,360 yd | Academy 16-19 converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Stoke-on-Trent College Cauldon Campus , Stoke Road ST4 2DG | - not rated | 1,575 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Special School The Mount , Penkhull ST4 7JU | - not rated | 56 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| ACE Centre (Penkhull Education Centre) Princes Raod , Penkhull ST4 7JS | - not rated | 137 yd | Pupil referral unit | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Dominic's Independent Junior School Hartshill Road , ST4 7LY | - not rated | 644 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Staffordshire University College Road , ST4 2DE | - not rated | 1,317 yd | Higher education institutions | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Lyme Vale Independent School Unit 2 , Lyme Vale Court ST4 6NW | - not rated | 1,408 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.