Haywood Academy Review 2026: A Good-rated secondary with a strong community ethos, plus a sixth form still finding its footing

A school can be academically ambitious and still feel grounded in its local area. Haywood Academy leans hard into that balance. It serves students aged 11 to 19 in Burslem and, by its own account, is oversubscribed with a waiting list for entry in all year groups.

Leadership has also been in motion. Mrs Adele Mills is the current Principal (as listed on Get Information About Schools), and school communications describe her appointment as Principal in February 2024.

On accountability, the headline is clear. The April 2023 Ofsted inspection graded the school Good overall, with sixth form provision graded Requires Improvement.

For families, the practical headline is that the school day runs 8:40am to 3:00pm (2025/26 timings). Admissions for Year 7 are handled through the local authority, with the 2026 entry deadline set at 31 October 2025 and offers on 02 March 2026.

There is a consistent thread in how Haywood describes itself and how external reporting characterises daily life: high expectations, a calm learning climate, and an emphasis on community conduct. Classrooms are described as calm spaces with a clear learning focus, backed by behaviour expectations that are understood and reinforced through rewards.

Kindness is not positioned as soft branding. It shows up as a practical behavioural norm, alongside a structured approach to keeping students safe. The academy also promotes confidential reporting through its Trust and Tell system, which is designed to help pupils raise concerns safely and discreetly.

The school’s local identity is also explicit. On the trust website, the Principal profile foregrounds being born and educated in Stoke-on-Trent, positioning the academy as serving, and shaped by, its community.

A final point on atmosphere is the sixth form, because it creates a different feel. The main school is described as purposeful and structured; the sixth form is smaller and, historically, has faced challenges around consistent attendance and the completeness of study programmes. That contrast matters if your child is deciding whether to stay on-site for post-16 or look elsewhere.

Performance data here points to a school that is working through improvement, rather than one already operating at the top end of outcomes.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking)

Ranked 3,598th in England and 24th in Stoke-on-Trent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

Progress 8 is -0.55, indicating students make less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. Average Attainment 8 is 36, and the EBacc average point score is 2.87.

A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking)

Ranked 2,565th in England and 11th in Stoke-on-Trent for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This also sits in the lower national band.

The latest A-level grades show 0% at A*, 0% at A, and 4.76% at B, with 4.76% achieving A* to B overall. (Small sixth forms can see percentages swing sharply year to year.)

What this means for families is straightforward: Haywood is not a results-led outlier in either direction. The published figures suggest a school with clear expectations and improving systems, but outcomes that still lag behind many alternatives. Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and the Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level measures side by side, rather than relying on reputation alone.

Curriculum work and teaching routines come through as a priority, particularly since the school has been refreshing subject sequencing and expectations. The curriculum is framed as ambitious and carefully structured for most subjects, with teachers using checking strategies to spot gaps and misconceptions and then intervene.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority rather than a narrow intervention. The Ofsted report references regular reading sessions and targeted support for those who struggle, including phonics training for staff supporting early-stage readers.

For students with special educational needs and disabilities, the picture is practical rather than vague. Needs are identified quickly, information is shared with staff, and learning activities are adapted. The main development point for teaching and learning is consistency of curriculum planning and formal assessment design across all subjects, because where plans are less precise, students do not learn and remember as much as they could.

Where Students Go Next

Haywood has a sixth form, but it is not the only post-16 pathway students may consider, especially given the sixth form judgement.

Staying on to sixth form

The school’s sixth form was graded Requires Improvement at the last inspection, with concerns centred on attendance, work experience coverage, and ensuring every student completes a coherent study programme that supports next steps. Ofsted recorded 54 students in the sixth form at the time of inspection, which is small enough that individual pastoral and academic support can be very personal, but also small enough that subject breadth and enrichment can be more constrained than in larger sixth form colleges.

Post-18 destinations (DfE leaver data)

For the 2023/24 leavers cohort (cohort size 32), 22% progressed to university, 38% entered employment, 6% went to further education, and 3% started apprenticeships.

This is a mixed destinations picture. It may suit families who value a school that supports multiple routes, including direct employment, not only university pathways. It also underlines why careers education and employer engagement matter, and Haywood does build this from Year 7 onwards through a structured programme with interviews later in the school journey.

Haywood positions itself as a non-selective school with no entrance test or academic entry requirements, and it frames its purpose as serving the local community.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Applications for Year 7 are coordinated through Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The application round opens 01 September 2025, closes 31 October 2025, with offers made on 02 March 2026.

Oversubscription

The latest published demand data shows 467 applications for 208 offers, a demand ratio of 2.25 applications per place, consistent with an oversubscribed school. (The school also states it expects to be full with a waiting list.)

In-year and post-16

The school states that admissions for Years 8 to 11 and Years 12 to 13 are handled directly through the school application process, rather than the local authority route used for Year 7.

For families who care about precise catchment positioning, the most reliable approach is to use FindMySchool Map Search tools, then confirm the current admissions criteria published for the relevant year, since distance and priority categories can change in impact as local demand shifts.

Pastoral systems are presented as structured and intervention-led. The academy is explicit about student wellbeing being central to secondary life, with staff expecting students to speak up early and to use formal routes for concerns.

The school also highlights targeted support, including a Welfare Inclusion and SEND Hub (WISH), described as coordinating interventions so students can stay engaged and successful.

The second key safeguard is external validation: the April 2023 inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff training, partner working, and clear processes for identifying pupils who need help.

Extracurricular life at Haywood is presented as a core part of the offer, with a rolling programme that changes across the year. What matters for families is not the slogan but the specificity and accessibility.

Sport and activity clubs (current example timetable)

A recent extracurricular timetable includes 6-a-side football, badminton, netball, handball, and dodgeball, with a mix of year-group and all-year options.

The implication is a straightforward one. Students who want to build routine, friendships, and physical confidence after the bell have clear, organised options without needing elite-level ability. For a school seeking to improve outcomes, consistent attendance at structured clubs can also reinforce punctuality and belonging, especially for students who find lessons challenging.

Community and leadership strands

Beyond clubs, the school’s wider personal development story includes community ambassadors and volunteering, with students described as supporting food banks and local emergency worker initiatives. This type of programme tends to suit students who respond well to responsibility and practical contribution, not only academic targets.

The published academy day timings for 2025/26 show Period 1 starting at 8:40am and Period 5 ending at 3:00pm, with a tutorial slot and scheduled break and lunch.

As a secondary school, wraparound care is not typically a standard feature in the way it is for primaries, and the school’s public pages do not present a single, dedicated before-school or after-school childcare offer. Families who need supervised early drop-off or late collection should confirm current arrangements directly with the school.

For transport planning, Haywood’s location on High Lane is typically approached via local bus routes and walking links from surrounding residential areas. Where students travel independently, it is sensible to do a trial route at the relevant time of day, as peak-time travel can materially change journey length.

• Competition for places is real. The most recent published demand figures show 467 applications for 208 offers, and the school itself describes being oversubscribed with waiting lists. This can limit flexibility if you are applying late or moving into the area.

• Sixth form quality is the main current weakness. The sixth form judgement is Requires Improvement, with attendance and the completeness of study programmes identified as issues. If post-16 is important to your plans, you should scrutinise subject breadth, attendance expectations, and work experience support.

• Outcomes still have ground to make up. GCSE and A-level rankings sit in the lower national band. Families should look closely at whether your child needs a school already delivering higher outcomes, or whether the school’s structure and expectations are a good match for improving steadily.

• If your child needs very specific support, ask for detail. The school describes structured SEND identification and a dedicated inclusion hub approach, but the right fit depends on the nature of needs and how support is implemented day to day.

Haywood Academy offers a calm, structured secondary experience with a clear emphasis on behaviour, kindness, and community identity. It will suit families who want a non-selective school that sets expectations clearly, offers accessible sport and enrichment, and takes safeguarding seriously.

The limiting factor is not ethos, it is outcomes and post-16 consistency. For students likely to thrive with strong routines and pastoral structure, the school can be a sensible choice, especially locally. For families prioritising top-end exam performance or a sixth form already judged strong, it is worth comparing alternatives carefully before committing.