Kidsgrove Secondary School Review 2026: A small 11–16 with big routines and a digital edge

A free breakfast bagel from 08.20am and a 1:1 iPad model tell you a lot about the direction here. The day is structured, expectations are explicit, and the school places real weight on removing practical barriers that can knock learning off course. That “do the basics well” mindset appears again in the timetable, in the consistent lesson structure, and in the way literacy is framed as a whole-school responsibility.

The current leadership team has been in place long enough to have shaped the culture. Steven Frost was appointed headteacher in September 2021, and the school describes itself as relatively small, positioning that size as an advantage for knowing students well.

Parents should read the headline performance picture alongside the context. On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking, the school sits below England average, and Progress 8 is negative. The opportunity, for the right child, is a setting that has tightened routines, modernised delivery through technology, and puts steady emphasis on personal development and next steps, rather than assuming students will “work it out” on their own.

The school’s ethos is built around a straightforward idea: keep improving the small things, and the bigger outcomes follow. That is reflected in the published motto, ‘If you do enough small things right, big things can happen believe’. In practice, the “small things” include predictable morning routines, a clearly defined school day, and practical supports that make it easier for students to arrive ready to learn.

The latest inspection narrative describes a close-knit feel, with warm relationships and a culture where pupils feel able to raise concerns. Students are presented as proud of the school, and staff as positive about the improvements that have taken place in recent years. This is important context for families weighing whether a smaller secondary will feel “too small” or reassuringly known.

A visible strand in the school’s identity is “local heritage” via the House System, launched in Spring 2022. Students are assigned to a house and compete half-termly, with achievement points feeding into house leader boards. The house names shown on the school site include Bridgewater, Bright, Spitfire, and Wedgwood, and the set-up is explicitly linked to the school’s core values.

Leadership sits within a wider trust context. The school joined the Shaw Education Trust in November 2018, and the inspection report notes that trust support has helped curriculum design and delivery. For families, that matters less as a branding point and more as an indicator of shared systems, shared professional development, and access to wider expertise than a small standalone school could typically sustain.

Ranked 3,204th in England and 17th in Stoke-on-Trent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school’s results sit below England average overall (around the 70th percentile, meaning it performs below roughly 70% of ranked schools). This is a useful benchmark for parents comparing options locally, particularly when deciding whether the school’s pastoral and structural strengths align with their child’s learning needs.

On the outcomes data available here, Attainment 8 is 38.8 and Progress 8 is -0.5. A negative Progress 8 score indicates students, on average, make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. EBacc average point score is 3.47, and 4.9% achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure shown.

The most constructive way to use these numbers is to treat them as the “why” behind the school’s operational choices. The inspection report highlights curriculum mapping, stronger leadership, and a push for more consistent checks on learning. In other words, the academic story is explicitly one of improvement work and consistency, not a school resting on long-established high results.

Parents comparing local performance can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE outcomes alongside nearby schools using the Comparison Tool, then bring that shortlist to open events and transition activities to test cultural fit.

Kidsgrove’s teaching language is unusually explicit for a mainstream secondary. Lessons follow a published “5 Step Model” built around a lesson question and a defined “Master” outcome intended to stretch all learners. The steps are described as explore, engage, secure, model, and evaluate, and the school positions this as a consistent framework across subjects.

The digital strategy is not presented as an add-on. The school states it runs a 1:1 iPad solution for students and staff, using interactive resources and rapid sharing of materials. It also names Showbie as a platform used for live assessment, with the stated aim of addressing misconceptions and supporting adaptive approaches.

Literacy is framed as a gateway to success across the curriculum. The school sets out a reading strategy that includes structured support, reading for pleasure, explicit vocabulary instruction in lessons, and a partnership with Sparx Reader, described as a comprehension and vocabulary programme that prompts questions throughout a book and awards points for careful reading.

For families of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the inspection evidence is mixed but clear. Leaders identify and review needs, and there is an inclusion focus, but the report also flags inconsistency in how well learning is adapted in classrooms. In day-to-day terms, this is a school that appears to be strengthening systems, but parents should ask direct questions about how subject teachers adapt tasks, how interventions are chosen, and how progress is checked across different departments.

This is an 11–16 school without a sixth form, so the key destination point is post-16 transition. The inspection report indicates the school provides guidance to support next steps in education and employment, and it references careers within the wider personal development curriculum.

The school’s enrichment offer includes GCSE Revision Club and a Homework Club, which are pragmatic indicators of post-16 readiness work, especially for students who benefit from structured study time. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is also integrated into the personal development programme, presented as a route to confidence, skills and a broader record of achievement that can support college applications.

If you are comparing post-16 routes, the most useful conversation with the school is often a practical one: which local colleges and sixth forms students typically move to, how the school supports applications, and what additional guidance is available for vocational pathways, apprenticeships, and technical qualifications. Those details are often clearer in conversation than on headline pages.

Admissions are coordinated through Staffordshire County Council, and the school notes that applications must be made via the local authority rather than directly to the academy. The published admission number on the school’s admissions page is 120.

For September 2026 Year 7 entry, Staffordshire’s application window opens on 01 September 2025 and closes on 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 02 March 2026. Families living outside Staffordshire should apply through their home local authority, which will liaise across borders as needed.

The school’s transition messaging is a clear selling point. It describes regular contact with feeder primaries and states it offers a whole week of transition days for new starters. That level of transition time can matter for anxious children, students with additional needs, or pupils who have had a disrupted primary experience and need a carefully staged start.

Pastoral strength is one of the school’s stated priorities, and the inspection narrative supports a picture of improving behaviour, higher expectations, and systems designed to remove barriers to learning. The report describes improved behaviour and attendance, with fewer suspensions, and it points to practical supports, including breakfast provision and a homework club, as part of helping pupils settle into learning routines.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with staff training and clear processes for escalating concerns and working with external agencies. This matters most in how it feels day-to-day: students should know who to speak to, concerns should be taken seriously, and the school should act quickly where a child is at risk.

A useful practical detail for parents is that the school places reading culture in front of students in visible ways. The Reading Room is described as open every lunchtime, stocked, and supported by students running it, with iPads used to access audiobooks and e-books. For some children, especially reluctant readers, that combination of social normalisation and easy access can make reading feel less like a “school task” and more like a habit.

The enrichment list is broad, and it is particularly strong on “structured, confidence-building” opportunities rather than relying only on competitive sport. Named options include Student Council, the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, Homework Club, GCSE Revision Club, Chess Club, Class bands, Darts Club, Spanish Club, Maths Challenges, and STEM Science Crest Awards.

For sport, the published list includes activities such as trampolining, football, basketball, skiing, badminton, netball, fitness and cross-country. The inspection report notes that pupils enjoy the current offer but would like a wider choice, which is a helpful nudge for families to check the most up-to-date programme and how it is resourced, particularly if extracurricular breadth is a key priority.

The House System adds additional structure and belonging, with half-termly competitions and achievement points feeding into the leader board. For many students, that house identity becomes a steady social anchor, especially in a smaller school where visibility can be both a strength and a challenge.

The digital strand also shows up beyond lessons. The school frames the iPad model as a tool for developing “digital skills for life”, and it describes students working alongside staff to lead aspects of digital development, with weekly form-time skills work. Families who value technology-enabled learning should ask how the school balances screen use with handwriting, reading stamina, and focused attention, especially for students who can become distracted by devices.

The published school day runs from registration at 08.35am through Period 5 ending at 3.05pm, with the school emphasising that activities and support often continue after 3.05pm (including clubs and Year 11 interventions).

Breakfast bagels are available from 08.20am by the school hall.

For travel, the school serves Kidsgrove and surrounding communities on the Stoke-on-Trent and north Staffordshire edge. Families should check current transport options, walking routes, and bus links for realistic day-to-day timing, especially if a child will be attending after-school sessions.

• Performance position. On FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking the school sits below England average, and Progress 8 is negative. Families should explore whether the structured systems, digital approach and intervention offer match their child’s needs, particularly if they require consistently high academic stretch.

• Consistency of classroom adaptation. External review evidence points to strong curriculum intent and subject knowledge, but also to inconsistency in checks for understanding and in adapting learning for different needs, including for students with SEND. Ask targeted questions about how this is improving within subjects your child will study.

• Extracurricular breadth may vary. Students are described as enjoying activities but wanting a wider choice. If clubs are a major reason for choosing a school, request the latest enrichment timetable and ask how often programmes change term to term.

• Device-led learning needs oversight. A 1:1 iPad model can support accessibility and pace, but it also requires strong boundaries and consistent teaching practice. Parents may want to understand expectations around device use at home, homework routines, and how online safety is taught.

Kidsgrove Secondary School is best understood as a smaller 11–16 that has tightened routines, invested in a technology-enabled model, and put practical readiness to learn at the centre of daily life. The latest Ofsted inspection, carried out on 18 and 19 April 2023 and published on 14 June 2023, graded the school Good across all areas and confirmed safeguarding is effective.

Who it suits: families who want a structured day, clear expectations, a strong transition programme, and a school that is actively working on consistency and improvement rather than relying on reputation alone. The key decision is whether the academic performance profile aligns with your child’s starting point and ambitions, and whether the digital approach strengthens their learning habits rather than distracting from them.