All Saints Church of England Academy, Stockton-on-Tees Review 2026: High expectations with a clearly lived Christian ethos

This is a high-performing 11–16 academy serving Ingleby Barwick and the wider Stockton-on-Tees area, with a reputation for calm order, strong relationships, and ambitious expectations. The academy is part of Dales Academies Trust, and is led by headteacher Ashleigh Lees.

The most recent inspection evidence (published January 2025) presents a distinctive profile: Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, and Leadership and management are judged Outstanding, while Quality of education is judged Good. Parents weighing this school are typically deciding less between “good or bad”, and more between “strict and structured” versus “more relaxed and informal”, plus the practical reality that it is oversubscribed.

The academy’s identity is anchored in a Church of England ethos that is presented as practical rather than performative. The clearest evidence is how consistently the school’s vision is described as being understood by staff and pupils, with an emphasis on inclusion and belonging. That matters for day-to-day experience. In schools where values are genuinely shared, behaviour systems tend to be clearer, expectations more predictable, and pupil support easier to coordinate across year groups.

Relationships appear to be a defining strength. Staff are described as caring deeply for pupils, and the school is characterised as calm and harmonious, with disruption rare and pupils highly motivated. For families, the implication is a setting that suits students who learn best when routines are consistent, classrooms are orderly, and adult boundaries are firm.

Leadership stability is another relevant signal. The headteacher is Ashleigh Lees, and public documentation shows she was in post by 2019 at the latest. The school opened in 2003, later converting to academy status in May 2013. That timeline matters because it helps explain the “modern academy” feel: a relatively new institution by English secondary standards, with systems built for scale, and a trajectory shaped by expansion in response to local demand.

Start with the simplest positioning: based on FindMySchool rankings derived from official outcomes data, the academy is Ranked 818th in England and 3rd in Stockton-on-Tees for GCSE outcomes. This places it above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England (top quartile).

In terms of core GCSE performance indicators, Attainment 8 is 55.3, and Progress 8 is +0.32, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points across eight subjects. The Progress 8 figure is particularly useful for parents because it reflects learning gains rather than raw attainment alone.

The English Baccalaureate picture is nuanced. The academy’s EBacc average point score is 5.06, above the England average of 4.08. At the same time, 33.1% achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc. Together, those data points often suggest a school that focuses on strong teaching within the EBacc suite for those entered, while not necessarily pushing the whole cohort through the full EBacc pathway.

The practical takeaway is that this is a strong academic school for a wide range of learners, not an exam-selective institution. The results profile is consistent with high expectations and strong classroom culture, with outcomes that remain competitive locally and solidly above England norms overall.

Curriculum ambition is a clear strength. The school is described as delivering an ambitious and broad curriculum that prepares pupils for their next stage, with pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities learning the same curriculum as their peers. That is an important detail. In mainstream secondaries, pupils can experience “separate tracks” too early, which can limit future options. Here, the emphasis appears to be on access and participation before narrowing choices later.

Teaching quality is underpinned by subject expertise. Teachers are described as subject specialists who explain concepts clearly, and pupils are given regular opportunities to practise and apply learning, including subject-specific vocabulary. For families, the implication is a school that rewards effort and attention. Students who are motivated tend to thrive in classrooms where explanations are explicit, practice is structured, and misconceptions are challenged quickly.

There is also one clearly stated improvement priority: consistency in checking what pupils have learned and remembered, so that gaps and misconceptions are identified and addressed systematically. This is not an unusual issue in larger secondaries, particularly where strong departments coexist with departments still tightening assessment routines. For parents, it is worth probing at open events how the school supports staff to align assessment practice across subjects, and how quickly interventions are triggered when a pupil’s understanding starts to slip.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority, including targeted support for pupils who need to catch up, and structured opportunities for reading for pleasure. That matters beyond English. Reading fluency underpins performance across humanities, sciences, and vocational courses, particularly once GCSE content becomes denser in Years 10 and 11.

As an 11–16 school, the key destination transition is post-16. Official evidence highlights a comprehensive careers programme designed to provide detailed information on employment, apprenticeships, and education pathways. In practical terms, families should expect guidance that supports multiple routes, including sixth form and college, technical options, and apprenticeship pathways.

The curriculum is described as preparing pupils well for the next stage of education, employment or training. That phrasing is meaningful. It signals a school that sees “next steps” as broader than A-level routes, and that places weight on readiness, confidence, and informed choice.

Because the school does not have a sixth form, families should plan early for Year 11 decision-making. For some students, the clarity of an external transition can be motivating, particularly when paired with structured careers input. For others, it can create anxiety if options feel unclear. A sensible approach is to ask how careers guidance ramps up across Years 9 to 11, and how the school supports students who are undecided late in Year 11.

All Saints is non-selective, but demand is the limiting factor. In the most recently available admissions data for secondary transfer, there were 474 applications and 178 offers, indicating strong competition for places (around 2.66 applications per place).

For families applying for Year 7 entry in September 2026, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council communications confirm that applications opened on 08 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025, with offers released on National Offer Day, 01 March 2026, and issued on Monday 02 March 2026 because 01 March fell on a Sunday. Late applications are possible, but are typically processed after on-time applications.

With no published “last distance offered” figure available here, families should treat distance and priority categories as the key variables. The most reliable way to plan is to read the local authority’s coordinated admissions guidance carefully, and to use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand how your home location relates to the school and to likely local competition patterns.

Faith context can also matter. As a Church of England academy, the ethos is explicitly Christian and described as a lived part of daily life. Families comfortable with that framing often see it as a strength, particularly around values language and community expectation. Families seeking a more secular tone should check how collective worship and religious education sit alongside inclusion for pupils of all faiths and none.

Pastoral care is presented as a major strength, with a strong emphasis on pupils feeling safe, known, and supported. The school is described as highly inclusive, with staff who care deeply and relationships that are warm and respectful. Those details typically correlate with lower low-level disruption, fewer behaviour “flashpoints”, and better attendance.

Support is also framed structurally. Earlier published school material highlights an established Care, Guidance and Support team as part of the support model for students. The practical implication is that pastoral work is not simply an add-on, it is organised through identifiable roles and processes, which tends to matter most for students who need consistency, early intervention, and predictable adult contact.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the most recent official inspection evidence. Parents should still do the basics: ask how concerns are reported, how online safety education is delivered, and how the school responds to patterns such as friendship breakdowns or bullying risk, but the headline evidence here is reassuring.

This school’s wider offer is not limited to “clubs after school”, it is framed as part of personal development, leadership, and cultural capital. A named programme called Involve is highlighted as a central structure for developing interests and talents, including sports and performing arts. The key implication is breadth. Students who are not natural “team sport” types still have clear routes into recognised activities and roles that build confidence.

Leadership opportunities are unusually specific for a mainstream 11–16 school. Students take on roles such as cultural ambassadors, prefects, and library leaders, and some act as peer mentors, deliver assemblies, support younger pupils with reading, and lead charity fundraising. This matters because leadership roles can change a student’s trajectory, particularly for those who need a reason to belong, or who respond well to responsibility.

Academic support outside lessons is also explicit in subject areas. For example, published faculty information describes structured revision and intervention sessions running after school and at lunchtime, supporting pupils across year groups. Alongside this, the school offers experiences designed to broaden horizons, including visits to museums, theatres and landmarks, plus structured experiences such as mock criminal trials.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is also referenced as part of the wider development offer. For many families, this signals a school that values perseverance, teamwork, and service, not just exam outcomes.

This is a state-funded school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the normal costs associated with secondary education, such as uniform, equipment, and optional trips.

Publicly accessible sources do not consistently publish the exact start and finish times of the academy day for this school. Parents should confirm current timings directly with the school, particularly for Year 7 transition planning.

For travel planning, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council sets out home to school transport support in specific circumstances, including for pupils with special educational needs or disability and for pupils living long distances from their nearest suitable school. In other cases, families should plan on independent travel arrangements.

• Inspection profile is not uniformly top-graded. The most recent inspection evidence grades Quality of education as Good, alongside Outstanding judgements for behaviour, personal development, and leadership. Families should ask what is being done to tighten consistency in checking learning and addressing misconceptions across subjects.

• Competition for places is real. The available demand data show substantially more applications than offers, so proximity and priority categories matter, and contingency planning is sensible.

• The Christian ethos is central. The school’s identity is explicitly Church of England, and the ethos is described as lived daily. Families seeking a more secular experience should explore how worship, values education, and inclusion are balanced in practice.

• No sixth form means a hard transition at 16. Some students benefit from a fresh start; others prefer continuity. Parents should ask how Year 11 guidance supports a calm, well-informed move into post-16 routes.

All Saints Church of England Academy is a strong local option with a clearly defined culture: high expectations, exemplary behaviour, and a values-led approach that appears to translate into orderly classrooms and confident pupils. The academic outcomes and local standing support its reputation, while the latest inspection profile suggests the main development focus is consistency in classroom checking and learning retention.

Best suited to families who want a structured, calm secondary experience with a strong Christian ethos, and who are prepared to engage early with admissions planning in an oversubscribed context.