St Mary's CofE Primary School

What St Mary's CofE Primary School does

St Mary's CE Primary School is a one-form entry voluntary controlled Church of England primary school located in Albrighton, Shropshire (WV7 3DS), operating under the Diocese of Lichfield and maintained by Shropshire Local Authority. It serves children aged 4–11 (Reception through Year 6) from the Albrighton area and surrounding Shropshire/West Midlands region, including a notable concentration of Armed Forces families linked to neighbouring RAF Cosford. The school also hosts St Mary's Nursery Group, a separate registered charity operating from a bungalow on the same site.

The school's core curriculum is built around standard primary subjects (EYFS, English, Maths, Science, PE, Music, Art, DT, Computing, RSHE, MFL) and two proprietary differentiators: the OWL (Outdoor Woodland Learning) programme, delivered in a dedicated woodland area with a purpose-built shelter, and the Little Wandle systematic synthetic phonics scheme supported by St John Boscoe English Hub. Supporting technology is standard for UK primary schools: Google Analytics on the website, MagicBookings for wraparound care, ParentPay for school meal payments, Purple Mash, BBC Bitesize, Times Table Rockstars, and SIMS for attendance. The school achieved an Ofsted Good rating in January 2024 and reports Key Stage 2 outcomes materially above national averages (90% Reading, 83% Maths, 79% Writing at Expected Standard).

The business model is not commercial. Operating revenue is dominated by per-pupil government funding routed through Shropshire Local Authority, supplemented by Pupil Premium, PE/Sport Premium, and modest discretionary income from school meals (£2.80 per meal; free for Reception, Year 1, Year 2), ARK wraparound care (7:30am–8:40am and 3:20pm–5:30pm, term time only), and paid after-school clubs (Dance, Drama, Choir, OWL, Lego, Story Rangers, sports). Marketing is conducted almost entirely through the school website, a Facebook page, weekly Friday Flyer newsletter, and parent letters; no outbound sales motion exists. Governance is led by Headteacher Mrs N Milhavy-Jones, with a full board of governors chaired by Reverend Mary Thomas. The school is currently consulting on conversion to academy status as an associate member of Three Spires Trust (from November 2025), a Multi Academy Trust of seven CE schools across the West Midlands.

Name

St Mary's CofE Primary School

Legal name

St Mary's CE Primary School

Website

https://stmarysalbrighton.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St Mary's CE Primary School is a one-form entry voluntary controlled Church of England primary school in Albrighton, Shropshire, educating children aged 4–11 with a notable Armed Forces family population linked to RAF Cosford, and offering the proprietary OWL outdoor learning and Little Wandle phonics programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE)

Keywords

• Primary education services
• Church of England school
• Wraparound childcare provision
• Outdoor woodland learning
• Early years phonics

Headquarters

HQ city

Albrighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. School Meals: In-house meals provided by kitchen team with support from WLP Consultancy Services at £2.80 per meal. Universal free school meals provided for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 students.
2. ARK Wrap Around Care: Before and after school care provision operating 7.30am-8.40am and 3.20pm-5.30pm during term time. Booked via MagicBookings online system.
3. After School Clubs: Various clubs offered including dance, arts and crafts, drama, choir, OWL club, Lego club, Story Rangers, and sports. Some run by external professionals.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

St Mary's CE Primary School provides full primary education for children aged 4-11 (Reception through Year 6), delivering a Church of England curriculum with Christian values of Love, Courage and Forgiveness. Core offerings include daily classroom instruction across EYFS, core subjects, PE, Music, Art, DT, Computing, RSHE, and MFL, augmented by the OWL Outdoor Woodland Learning programme and Little Wandle phonics, plus wraparound care (ARK), school meals, and after-school clubs.

Product overview

St Mary's CE Primary School is a one-form entry voluntary controlled Church of England primary school offering Reception to Year 6 education. The school's product portfolio comprises its core curriculum programmes including the Little Wandle Phonics Programme for early reading, and OWL (Outdoor Woodland Learning) for experiential outdoor education. Beyond the classroom, the school offers wraparound childcare through ARK Provision, an extensive after-school clubs programme (Dance, Arts & Crafts, Drama, Choir, Lego, Football), and Spitfire Club supporting Armed Forces families. The school partners with external providers including Wolverhampton Communication Language and Literacy Team and St John Boscoe English Hub for curriculum quality assurance. A separate nursery provision operates on the same site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARK (Wrap Around Care): Before and after school care provision operating on the school premises during term time, open 7:30am - 8:40am and 3:20pm - 5:30pm
• OWL (Outdoor Woodland Learning)

Products and services

• Primary Education (Reception to Year 6) Mainstream primary education covering the full national curriculum from Reception through Year 6 for children aged 4-11, delivered within a Church of England setting with Christian values of Love, Courage and Forgiveness.
• OWL Outdoor Woodland Learning Outdoor woodland learning programme where each class undertakes curriculum-linked lessons including music making, cookery, fire making, den building, and craft skills in a dedicated woodland area with a purpose-built OWL shelter.
• Little Wandle Phonics Programme Government-approved systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme for teaching early reading, including a 'Keep-Up' approach for targeted support, matched take-home books, and dedicated SEND support.
• ARK Wrap Around Care Provision Before and after school childcare provision operating 7:30am-8:40am and 3:20pm-5:30pm during term time, with bookings managed through the MagicBookings online platform.
• After School Clubs Range of after-school enrichment clubs including Dance (Miss Kellie), Imagination Station Arts & Crafts, Drama, Choir, OWL Club, Lego Club, Story Rangers, Wolves Football Squad, and Soccer 2000 Multisports, with some run by external professionals.
• St Mary's Nursery Early years nursery provision situated on the same site as the primary school, operated by St Mary's Nursery Group as a registered charity (registered charity number 1088584).
• Spitfire Club Free lunch club for Armed Forces children providing friendship, games, LEGO play and colouring activities, run by Mobility Co-ordinator Mrs Annette Ashwell.
• School Meals In-house school meals provided by the kitchen team with support from WLP Consultancy Services at £2.80 per meal, with Universal Free School Meals for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of pupils achieved Expected Standard in Reading (vs 75% national), 83% in Maths (vs 74% national), 76% in RWM combined (vs 62% national)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Three Spires TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025St Mary's CE Primary School became an associate member of Three Spires Trust from November 2025. Three Spires Trust is a Multi Academy Trust supporting community and Church of England schools across the West Midlands with seven schools already part of the trust. The school is exploring academisation to join the trust.
• Wolverhampton Communication Language and Literacy TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for quality assurance and support in Early Reading. The team regularly offers support, guidance and quality assurance. They work closely with staff and teachers to ensure the curriculum is designed and delivered effectively.
• St John Boscoe English HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish Hub currently supporting St Mary's school to improve and enhance its early reading offer. Carrying out regular visits offering expert literacy advice, additional staff training, quality assurance, and providing initial funding for a new SSP phonics scheme (Little Wandle).
• Little WandlecoreTechnology or IntegrationGovernment-approved systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme adopted by the school. Provides complete early reading curriculum with 'Keep-Up' approach, take-home books matching class sounds, and dedicated SEND support.
• Crested SchoolwearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial uniform supplier for branded school uniform including polo shirts, sweatshirts, cardigans, PE kits, and OWL uniforms. Online supplier for school community.
• Wolves FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiss E Walker serves as Sports Coach at the school through Wolves Foundation partnership. School participates in Wolves Football Squad Training and other Wolves Foundation events.
• St Mary Magdalene Church, AlbrightoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership with the church is a core element of the school's Christian distinctiveness. Reverend Mary Thomas serves as Chair of Governors. Regular church visits and collective worship arrangements.
• RAF CosfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong operational links with RAF Cosford due to significant Armed Forces family population at the school. Mrs Ashwell, the Mobility Coordinator, has 22 years RAF service experience. School receives RAF Hive support resources.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Diocese of Lichfield: Anglican diocese within which St Mary's sits as a voluntary controlled CE school, appointing foundation governors and overseeing Christian distinctiveness. Comparable as the broader institutional umbrella that defines the faith-based character of the school.
• Church of England Education Office: National Church of England body setting policy and inspection framework (SIAMS) for CE schools. Relevant as the sector-wide reference point for faith-based K-12 governance, values-led curriculum, and SIAMS rating structure.

Others

• Crested Schoolwear: Official uniform supplier for St Mary's including the OWL uniform line. Comparable as a branded merchandise channel that influences school identity and provides a small commercial revenue touchpoint typical of UK primary schools.
• Forest Schools Foundation: UK-wide forest school movement promoting outdoor, child-led learning in natural settings. Comparable as the alternative pedagogy ecosystem against which St Mary's OWL programme is positioned and benchmarked.
• ParentPay: Online cashless payment platform used by St Mary's for school meal payments and integrated across thousands of UK schools. Comparable as a vertically-adjacent technology competitor/supplier that defines the operational tooling floor for UK state primary schools.
• Greenhouse School Websites: Provider of the school's official website and CMS. Comparable as a sector-specialist digital infrastructure vendor whose templates and tooling are deployed across many UK primary schools of similar size.
• Wolves Foundation: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC's community charity that places Sports Coach Miss E Walker at St Mary's and runs Wolves Football Squad. Comparable as a regional sports-development partner that competitors in the same catchment also commonly engage.
• MagicBookings: Online booking system used by St Mary's for ARK wraparound care bookings. Comparable as a specialist child-care booking software provider serving the wraparound-care vertical relevant to the school's non-statutory revenue line.
• Little Wandle: Government-approved systematic synthetic phonics programme adopted by St Mary's, with English Hub support from St John Boscoe. Comparable as the dominant curriculum supplier in the same early-reading space that anchors the school's literacy outcomes.

Direct peers

• Three Spires Trust: Multi Academy Trust supporting community and Church of England schools across the West Midlands that St Mary's joined as an associate member in November 2025. Most directly comparable as the future governance and operating peer once academisation completes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61561617362982
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-mary's-cofe-primary-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St Mary's CofE Primary School