Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent Review 2026, High-expectations 11–16 academy with a strong enrichment offer

A large, mixed secondary academy in Tunstall, serving students aged 11 to 16 and part of The Co-operative Academies Trust. The tone is purposeful, with a clear emphasis on standards, routines, and widening horizons beyond the local area. Leadership stability is a notable feature, with Shane Richardson appointed as headteacher in June 2020.

On outcomes, the school sits broadly in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England for GCSE measures (25th to 60th percentile), based on FindMySchool rankings drawn from official data. Within Stoke-on-Trent, the school is ranked 13th locally for GCSE outcomes. Progress 8 sits above average at 0.25, suggesting students typically achieve more than peers with similar starting points.

This is a state-funded school with no tuition fees. The practical appeal is strengthened by a free breakfast offer and a busy clubs schedule, including structured academic enrichment alongside sport and creative options.

The school’s public-facing message is consistent, high expectations, visible routines, and the idea that students should leave at 16 with strong habits and wider ambitions. That comes through in how the day is organised, including a formal start time and structured blocks for tutor time, assemblies, and break, which tends to suit students who respond well to clarity and predictability.

A defining element is the way enrichment is framed as part of the wider experience rather than a bolt-on. Alongside sport and the arts, there are specific academic and interest-led options that give students permission to be curious, from debate and book groups to themed sessions that make subjects feel current. For families weighing “feel”, the best indicator here is the combination of tight routines with visible opportunities to step beyond the timetable.

The headteacher’s tenure matters because it anchors the school’s direction. Shane Richardson has been headteacher since June 2020, and the senior leadership structure is clearly presented on the school site, which can be reassuring for parents who prioritise continuity and consistency.

FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places the school 2,703rd in England and 13th in Stoke-on-Trent for GCSE outcomes, based on official data. That position corresponds to performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is broadly what many families expect from a large, comprehensive-intake academy in a city context.

On headline measures, Attainment 8 is 45.5. Progress 8 is 0.25, a positive score indicating students typically make above-average progress across eight subjects compared with similar students nationally.

The English Baccalaureate average point score (EBacc APS) is 3.64, below the England average of 4.08. For parents, that usually translates into a cohort where EBacc entries, subject choices, and outcomes vary, and where some students will do best with careful guidance on key stage 4 options so that ambition stays realistic and motivation stays intact.

For families comparing local options, the most useful approach is to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tool to view this ranking alongside nearby secondaries on a like-for-like basis, especially if you are balancing outcomes with travel time and pastoral fit.

Curriculum thinking appears deliberate rather than improvised. The latest inspection report describes an ambitious curriculum with subject leaders focusing on sequencing so that knowledge builds coherently over time. English is highlighted as an area where the structure is especially effective, helping students connect what they learned in primary school to the demands of secondary reading and writing.

The clearest “what this looks like in practice” example is the emphasis on reading. Students are tested early in the academic year to identify gaps, then supported through a structured intervention programme, including phonics where needed. For students who arrive with weaker literacy, this matters because it has a direct impact across subjects, not just in English.

The school also references internal “learning cycles” to check smaller blocks of learning before moving on to more complex ideas. In parent terms, that is a commitment to retrieval and consolidation rather than racing through content. Where this approach works well, students build confidence because lessons connect, and assessment feedback is more likely to translate into improved performance over time.

Where Students Go Next

This is an 11–16 school, so the key transition is post-16. The latest inspection report notes that students receive guidance on next steps and learn about academic and vocational routes after Year 11, with most securing a positive destination.

For families, the practical question is how early your child starts to understand pathways and requirements, especially if they are considering competitive sixth form courses, technical routes, or apprenticeships. Careers education is presented as a planned programme with an identified careers leader, which typically supports a more systematic approach to employer encounters and post-16 planning.

If your child is aiming for a more academic post-16 route, it is worth checking how key stage 4 options align with that ambition, including languages where relevant, because subject choices at 14 can narrow or widen doors at 16.

Demand is clearly strong. For the Year 7 admissions route in the data provided, there were 525 applications and 259 offers, with the school recorded as oversubscribed. That equates to around 2.03 applications per place offered, and first-preference demand also exceeded offers (ratio 1.21). These figures do not guarantee future patterns, but they are a practical signal that families should treat admission as competitive rather than automatic.

Year 7 applications are handled through the local authority’s coordinated admissions process, with the academy admissions arrangements setting out how places are allocated if the school is oversubscribed. The published admissions number is 270 for Year 7. In oversubscription, priority is given to children in care and previously looked-after children, then siblings, then distance to the main entrance, using straight-line measurement.

For September 2026 entry under Stoke-on-Trent’s timetable, the application round opened on 01 September 2025, the closing date was 31 October 2025, and offers were made on 02 March 2026.

If you are shortlisting based on proximity, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the sensible tool to sanity-check travel assumptions early, because “feels close” and “measures close” can be different once straight-line calculations are applied.

Pastoral structures are visible in the way the day begins, with students meeting their head of year, year manager, and teacher at the start of the academy day, which helps build relationships around attendance, routines, and early intervention.

The inspection evidence points to generally positive behaviour and good relationships, but also highlights a key operational challenge, consistency. The report notes that not all staff apply the behaviour policy consistently, and that too many students are removed from lessons or spend time in isolation, which can interrupt learning. This is an important lens for parents, because the impact falls hardest on students who already find self-regulation difficult.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with detailed records and timely action, and the school is presented as knowledgeable about vulnerable students and families, including through work with local agencies.

The extracurricular schedule is unusually specific and wide-ranging, and it helps explain the school’s broader strategy. Sport is present, with football across year groups, netball, badminton, basketball, and gymnastics, which supports both participation and competitive opportunities.

The more distinctive value is the mix of academic, cultural, and student-leadership strands. Debate sessions run weekly, and there is a Greenpower CAS Racing club linked to technology, which is the kind of hands-on project that can make STEM feel tangible for students who learn best by building and testing.

Creative and reading culture options include fictional creative writing, comicbook art, anime and manga, book club, and an Academy band and choir. For students who do not define themselves through sport, that variety matters, it offers structured belonging, and it can reduce the risk that “after school” becomes unproductive time.

There is also a strong “character and civic” strand. The Co-op Young Leaders programme appears in both enrichment and inspection evidence, linked to community-facing activity such as supporting primary-age pupils and working with local charity groups. For students with leadership potential, this is a clear route to responsibility that can also strengthen post-16 applications.

The academy day has a clear structure, with an official start at 8.40am and a free breakfast club running from 8.00am to 8.40am.

Breakfast is positioned as universal rather than targeted, and the school reports serving 20,751 free breakfasts in 2024/25. For many families, that is not just a cost support, it also improves punctuality and readiness to learn, particularly for students who struggle with mornings.

Transport-wise, the site is on Westport Road in Tunstall, so most families will be thinking in terms of walking, cycling, or local bus routes rather than rail. If you are outside the immediate area, it is worth doing a dry-run at the times your child would travel, because congestion patterns around the school run can materially change a journey.

• Competition for places. With 525 applications and 259 offers in the Year 7 admissions route provided, demand has been high. Families should plan early and use the local authority timetable carefully.

• Behaviour consistency. The latest inspection evidence notes that behaviour is not managed consistently by all staff, and that time out of lessons, including isolation, has been higher than leaders want. This can be a bigger issue for students who need calm, predictable responses.

• Language uptake at GCSE. The inspection evidence notes that modern foreign language take-up at key stage 4 has been low, which may matter if your child is strongly academic and aiming for a full EBacc-style suite.

• An 11–16 model. Because students leave at 16, families who want a single school through sixth form will need a clear post-16 plan, ideally shaped before Year 11.

Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent is a large, oversubscribed 11–16 academy with above-average progress and an enrichment offer that is more structured and specific than many schools in its peer group. The strongest fit is for students who benefit from clear routines, a busy clubs programme, and a school that actively tries to broaden horizons through leadership and community opportunities.

Who it suits: families seeking a state-funded secondary in Stoke-on-Trent with solid mainstream outcomes, strong pastoral intent, and plenty of ways for students to get involved beyond lessons. The main trade-off is that behaviour systems have not always been applied consistently, so parents of students who are easily disrupted should look closely at pastoral and behaviour support during their research.