Madeley High School Review 2026: A high-expectation 11–16 with strong progress and a settled culture

There is a particular confidence that comes through in schools where expectations are consistently applied, and students understand exactly what “good work” looks like. Madeley High School fits that mould. It is a mixed 11–16 academy serving Madeley and surrounding villages, with a scale that remains manageable at a published capacity of 675.

The headline academic picture is encouraging. Progress 8 sits at +0.3 and Attainment 8 at 53.8, suggesting students typically leave with outcomes above what prior attainment would predict, and with a solid overall grade profile. Within the FindMySchool GCSE rankings, it is placed 1,405th in England and 1st locally in the Crewe area, which translates to performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while still leading the immediate locality.

Leadership is stable. The Academy Principal is Lee Nixon, in post since January 2017.

The school presents itself as a “close-knit” community with high expectations and a clear emphasis on purposeful conduct. That comes through in the way routines are described: students are expected to follow rules without fuss, settle quickly, and take pride in their work. There is also a strong sense that students are encouraged to represent the school well, whether through leadership roles, fixtures, performances, or enrichment activity.

Values are stated plainly and repeatedly across communications: Pride and respect, Confidence, Resilience, Aspiration, Positivity, Enjoyment, and Politeness. In practice, that kind of values framework works best when it shows up in classroom norms, corridors, and sanctions as well as assemblies. The evidence base from external evaluation points in that direction, particularly around behaviour, relationships, and students’ sense of safety.

Madeley’s position within the Shaw Education Trust also matters for context. Trust-level accountability and support can give a smaller secondary school access to shared expertise, training, and consistent policy design. The school joined the trust in January 2017, aligning with the current principal’s tenure.

Madeley High School’s performance data indicates a broadly positive story, with a particularly strong signal on progress.

GCSE performance indicators (most recent dataset provided)

• Progress 8: +0.3

• Attainment 8: 53.8

• EBacc grade 5+ measure: 11.1%

• EBacc average point score: 4.71

These figures suggest students, on average, make above-expected progress across eight key subjects, and leave with a respectable overall outcomes profile. The lower EBacc-related measures also hint at a curriculum and options pattern that does not push EBacc entry as hard as some schools. In isolation that can raise questions, but it is also consistent with a school making deliberate choices around what students study, and how to build a curriculum that works for its cohort. The latest inspection evidence supports the idea that curriculum planning is intentional, with a focus on sequencing, retrieval, and ensuring students catch up when gaps appear.

Rankings context (FindMySchool, based on official data)

Ranked 1,405th in England and 1st in Crewe for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking). This places the school broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while performing strongly compared with the immediate local set.

For parents comparing options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can be useful for checking how this profile sits alongside nearby schools, especially when you want to balance progress, overall grades, and subject entry patterns.

The school’s strongest claims are about curriculum ambition and teaching quality, and the available evidence gives substance to that. The curriculum is described as ambitious and carefully designed; teaching is framed around strong subject knowledge, well-chosen tasks, and frequent checks for understanding so that misconceptions are addressed early. That combination tends to benefit two groups in particular: students who need structure and clear explanations, and students who can go further when teachers probe and extend rather than simply deliver content.

Literacy support also appears to be a purposeful thread rather than an add-on. Reading intervention is described as targeted and designed to secure rapid improvement, including the vocabulary students need to access the wider curriculum. For a mainstream 11–16, this is often one of the clearest markers of whether “high expectations” is real, because reading gaps are where many schools either intervene effectively or accept underperformance.

As an 11–16 school, Madeley’s focus is Year 11 outcomes and post-16 transition, rather than sixth form destinations. The school’s careers and pathways information sets out the main routes after 16, including A-level study, T Levels, technical and applied qualifications, apprenticeships, and traineeships, alongside guidance on typical entry requirements for Level 3 study.

The latest inspection evidence indicates that students receive careers guidance that supports informed choices, including engagement with employers and visits to post-16 providers. The most important practical point for families is that post-16 planning starts early enough to influence Year 9 options, Year 10 work experience, and Year 11 decision-making.

Madeley High School is a state-funded school with no tuition fees. Admission for Year 7 is coordinated through Staffordshire County Council, and the school’s published admission number is 150.

For September 2026 entry, Staffordshire’s timeline confirms:

• Applications typically open in early September

• The closing date for on-time applications is 31 October 2025

• National Offer Day for secondary places is 2 March 2026

Open events can be a useful proxy for how the school communicates its culture. For the September 2026 intake, the school advertised an open evening in September 2025, with multiple principal presentations scheduled across the evening. For future cohorts, expect open events to usually sit in September, but families should check the school’s current calendar for the exact dates each year.

Where distance and transport are decisive for your shortlist, FindMySchoolMap Search can help families check likely travel time and practical routes. Admissions allocations can vary year to year, so it is sensible to combine school preference with a realistic travel plan.

The school’s pastoral picture is closely tied to conduct, clarity, and routine. Behaviour expectations are positioned as non-negotiable, and the evidence suggests low disruption in lessons, which is often the foundation for good learning experiences in mixed-ability cohorts. Students’ sense of safety is also clearly signposted, and anti-bullying handling is framed as decisive and consistent.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities appears to be a particular strength. Needs identification is described as precise, classroom adaptations are expected, and communication with families is treated as a core part of the approach. For parents navigating SEND, this is a key area to explore on a visit, including how support looks in mainstream lessons, and how the school manages transitions into Year 7 and through Key Stage 4.

Personal development is also treated as practical rather than abstract. Financial education is explicitly referenced, including areas such as household bills and mortgages, which can be a meaningful addition for an 11–16 school where students leave shortly after GCSEs.

The extracurricular programme is best understood as both enrichment and extension. There are clubs that widen participation, clubs that build community, and clubs that support outcomes, particularly for exam groups.

A termly activities timetable for Autumn 2025 shows a mix that is unusually specific for a published schedule. Examples include:

• Spectrum Club (LGBTQIA+) (listed on a rotating week pattern)

• Eco Warrior Club

• Minecraft Club (limited numbers)

• Esports Club

• Songwriting and Recording Club

• Stage Craft linked to a production of Matilda

• Madeley School Choir

• Targeted academic support, such as Y11 Further Maths, Physics Boosters, Y11 Computer Science Booster, and Spanish Boosters

Sport is present as both broad participation and structured teams, with futsal, hockey, football, netball, badminton, and volleyball all appearing on the same timetable, and some sessions clearly designed for particular year groups.

There is also a practical inclusion element: a breakfast and homework support club appears on the timetable as an invite-only provision running before school, which can matter for families where home routines are stretched, or where a calm start improves learning readiness.

The school day is structured around registration at 08:35, five teaching periods, and a lunch break running 13:30 to 14:05, with the day finishing at 15:05.

Food is run on a cafeteria model; the school publishes a “meal deal” price of £2.60 (main meal plus dessert), alongside facilities for packed lunches.

Because this is an 11–16 school, wraparound care is not the same proposition as it is in primary settings. The timetable does show before-school support provision, but families who need consistent supervision beyond the published clubs should check what is currently offered, and how spaces are allocated.

• Inspection status and timing. The latest inspection was an ungraded visit, which means there is no new overall grade attached to February 2025. Families should read the report carefully and be alert to how soon a graded inspection could follow.

• EBacc entry pattern. EBacc-related measures are comparatively low, and the school’s own evaluation points to curriculum decisions in languages as one driver. This may suit some students very well, but families who strongly prioritise an EBacc-heavy pathway should ask how MFL entry is now being encouraged and supported.

• School size versus roll pressures. Capacity is published at 675, while local authority and inspection documents indicate a roll above that figure in recent years. That can affect corridor density, rooming, and timetable pressure, even when teaching remains strong.

• No sixth form. Students will need a clear post-16 plan, and families should build in time to visit local colleges and training providers while students are still in Year 10 and early Year 11.

Madeley High School offers a structured, high-expectation secondary experience with strong evidence of improving quality and a clear focus on student progress. Behaviour, classroom culture, and curriculum intent appear well aligned, and the breadth of enrichment (including targeted academic support and creative options) gives students multiple ways to engage.

Best suited to families who want an orderly, ambitious 11–16 with a clear expectations culture, and who are prepared to plan early for post-16 routes. The key decision points are fit with the school’s subject pathway choices, and confidence in the transition to college or apprenticeship after Year 11.