The Orme Academy Review 2026: A secondary academy on an upward trajectory, with clear routines and a strong personal development offer

A school that has had to prove its progress, and now has a clearer story to tell. The most recent full inspection judged The Orme Academy as Good, with Good also recorded across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The culture is framed around a simple, repeated message about “empowering learners for life”, supported by the school’s ACE values (Aspiration, Challenge, Enjoyment). Students are expected to work hard, and the inspection evidence describes a purposeful feel in lessons, calm social times, and relationships that are respectful and constructive.

This is an 11 to 16 provision with no sixth form, so the quality of Key Stage 4 preparation and the strength of the careers programme matter a great deal here. The school’s own published information makes careers education and enrichment explicit parts of weekly provision, rather than add-ons.

The tone is set by clarity, expectations, and consistency. The most recent inspection describes a purposeful atmosphere where students focus on learning and staff address poor behaviour quickly and efficiently, and it also records that students feel safe and know who to speak to if they have concerns.

Leadership is stable and named. Mr Mark Boughey is the Principal, and Ofsted records him as headteacher in the June 2024 inspection documentation. The school sits within Shaw Education Trust, and the inspection narrative points to targeted trust support and a professional development programme that staff value, including explicit attention to workload.

Pastoral culture is not presented as “soft”; it is framed as part of readiness for learning. The inspection evidence highlights emphasis on mental health and wellbeing, plus structured opportunities for responsibility. Examples include language ambassadors and Year 9 reading leaders who support younger pupils, as well as charity activity and links with a local care home. These are useful signals for families who want a school that builds confidence and social maturity alongside GCSE preparation.

A key nuance is that improvement is still described as a work in progress. The inspection narrative recognises rising ambition and stronger policy, while also noting that outcomes have not yet improved consistently by the end of Key Stage 4. That combination often indicates a school that is tightening practice and routines, with the results picture still catching up.

This is a school where the data sits below England averages overall, even as the qualitative story has improved.

Using FindMySchool’s proprietary GCSE ranking based on official outcomes data, The Orme Academy is ranked 3,252nd in England and 21st in the Newcastle local area for GCSE performance. This places it below England average, within the lower-performing 40% of schools in England on this specific measure.

Headline GCSE indicators reinforce that picture. Attainment 8 is 41.2 and Progress 8 is -0.44, which indicates students make less progress than similar-starting pupils nationally on this metric.

What matters for parents is how the school responds to that reality. The June 2024 inspection describes a highly ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum and improving policies, but also points to inconsistency in how some teachers check understanding and address gaps in knowledge. That diagnostic is important because it identifies the practical lever that tends to lift outcomes in a secondary setting: tighter assessment in everyday teaching, followed by responsive reteaching.

If you are comparing local options, use the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tools to put these GCSE indicators beside other nearby schools, then cross-check with inspection recency and culture fit.

The curriculum model is broad at Key Stage 3 and then increasingly structured at Key Stage 4, with a mix of academic GCSEs and applied options.

At Key Stage 3, the published curriculum includes English, maths, science, arts, languages (French), humanities, computing, drama, music, physical education, PSHE, religious education, technology, plus an explicit enrichment lesson within the timetable.

At Key Stage 4, all students take English (language and literature), maths and science, with core PE, PSHE and careers education. Students also take an additional English Baccalaureate subject (history, geography, or French) and select further options from a menu that includes, among others, art, design and technology, health and social care, hospitality and catering, creative iMedia, performing arts and photography.

Several features stand out as practical, rather than purely aspirational:

• SEND adaptation is systematised. Staff use “pupil passports” to tailor teaching so that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities can access the same ambitious curriculum, with adaptation where needed.

• Reading support is targeted. The inspection evidence describes specialist teaching that addresses weaknesses in phonics, grammar and comprehension, supported by staff modelling reading and encouraging reading in and out of school.

• Assessment language is made explicit to families. The school publishes how it describes attainment and progress, and how these relate to national expectation and internal targets. That transparency helps parents understand reports and intervene early.

For families, the implication is straightforward: the academic direction is coherent and structured, but you should expect the experience to vary by subject area until quality assurance fully normalises day-to-day checking for understanding across the school.

With no sixth form, the school’s responsibility is to prepare students for a clean, informed transition at 16.

The careers material emphasises that young people must remain in education or training until 18, and it sets out the main routes: A-levels, T Levels, technical and vocational courses, applied qualifications, and apprenticeships. It also frames work experience and employer engagement as part of readiness for post-16 choices.

A practical strength here is that careers is not treated as a single week in Year 11. The inspection evidence describes a comprehensive careers programme in place for all pupils, with students engaging well.

What is not published as a simple set of numbers is a destination breakdown by provider or pathway for leavers. In the absence of published cohort figures, parents should ask directly about typical routes (sixth form college, FE college, apprenticeships), support for applications, and how the school assists students who need a more supported transition.

The school is part of the Staffordshire coordinated admissions system for Year 7 entry, and the local authority sets the countywide timeline for September 2026 entry.

Key dates for September 2026 secondary transfer in Staffordshire are:

• Applications open: 1 September 2025

• Closing date: 31 October 2025

• Offer day: 2 March 2026

The school’s published admissions information states a Published Admission Number of 150 for Year 7.

For open events, Staffordshire’s published listing for the September 2026 intake included dates in late September and early October 2025. As these were for the current admissions cycle, families considering a later intake should expect open events to run around September to October each year, with the school website and local authority pages confirming the exact diary.

Oversubscription criteria and waiting list practice sit within the local authority’s published arrangements and the school’s determined admissions documentation. If you are relying on a place from outside the immediate area, prioritise checking the exact criteria and how they are applied in tie-break situations.

Practical tip: use the FindMySchool map tools to sense-check your travel options and shortlist realistically, especially if you are comparing several Newcastle-under-Lyme secondaries with different demand patterns.

Pastoral strength is expressed through three channels: safety culture, structured personal development, and attendance focus.

Safeguarding is explicitly recorded as effective in the most recent inspection documentation. The inspection narrative also supports a picture of students knowing who to speak to and feeling safe, which is a core parental threshold issue.

Personal development is not limited to assemblies. PSHE is described as well planned and sequenced, covering healthy relationships and online safety, and also broadening awareness of cultural diversity.

The main pastoral challenge flagged in official evidence is attendance. The inspection report states that absence prevents a significant number of pupils from achieving their potential and that the school needs to continue its work with parents and external agencies to improve attendance, including for disadvantaged pupils. For families, the implication is that consistent routines at home, early communication, and a proactive approach to barriers to attendance are likely to be particularly important here.

Enrichment is designed into the week rather than bolted on.

The school publishes a model where clubs run before school, at break, at lunch, and after school, with participation rewarded through an “Enjoyment” point system. It also states that it enters sports fixtures and competitions organised for Newcastle schools.

Two specific, school-published enrichment strands are worth highlighting:

• Weekly enrichment lesson (Thursday 3a). Students rotate through activities grouped into creativity, living in the wider world (community, careers, leadership), and physical and performance activities. The design aim is breadth, so that every student experiences each strand rather than enrichment being limited to those who opt in.

• Robotics activity and student leadership. The school’s published prospectus material references clubs that include robotics and student leadership opportunities designed to build skills and community contribution.

There are also subject-linked enrichment signals. The Key Stage 4 pathways booklet refers to enrichment connected to arts, and the PE section references leadership opportunities and a sports council, alongside sports teams and links with community clubs.

For parents, the key question is fit. A structured enrichment system can be very positive for students who benefit from guided choice and routine, while highly self-directed students may need encouragement to pick opportunities rather than defaulting to minimal participation.

The school publishes a detailed school day structure effective from 1 September 2024. Lessons start at 8:40am, with the building open to students from 8:30am and site gates open from 8:15am. A breakfast provision runs 8:00am to 8:30am for students who want to purchase food or drink.

Wednesday finishes earlier for students, with departure at 2:30pm, linked to staff professional development.

In practical travel terms, the school references student entry via Milehouse Lane and a rear entrance on Sparch Hollow, which is useful when planning drop-off and independent travel routines for older pupils.

• Attendance is a key improvement lever. Official evidence identifies pupil absence as a material barrier to achievement, and it remains a stated priority for further work with families and agencies. If your child’s attendance is likely to be disrupted by health or anxiety, ask specifically what early interventions and reintegration support look like.

• Outcomes are not yet consistently improving at GCSE. The curriculum and policies are described as ambitious and better sequenced, but the inspection evidence also notes inconsistency in checking understanding and addressing gaps. Families seeking consistently high exam outcomes across all subjects should weigh this carefully alongside the school’s positive culture indicators.

• No sixth form, so post-16 transition matters. Students move on at 16, which puts extra weight on guidance, applications, and confidence-building in Years 10 and 11. Ask what support is offered for different routes, including apprenticeships and college-based programmes.

The Orme Academy now has the inspection profile many parents look for, Good across the board, a purposeful culture, and an explicit commitment to personal development and careers readiness. The data picture for GCSE outcomes sits below England average on FindMySchool’s ranking measures, so the most realistic view is a school with improving practice and clearer routines, with results still needing to catch up.

Best suited to families who want a structured 11 to 16 school with clear expectations, a strong safety culture, and a weekly enrichment model that gives every student breadth. The main challenge is ensuring consistent attendance and sustained academic momentum through Key Stage 4.