North Road Academy Review 2026: An Islamic all-through independent school with a dedicated SEN centre in Stoke-on-Trent

For families looking for a single setting that can take a child from the early years through to GCSE, North Road Academy positions itself as a through-school with an explicitly Islamic ethos and a mainstream curriculum alongside faith education. The school is registered for ages 3 to 16, with capacity for 230 pupils and no boarding.

The latest inspection (November 2024) judged the school Good overall and confirmed it meets the independent school standards, with early years also graded Good.

A distinctive feature is the on-site Centre for Exceptional Children, designed for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who need specialist support within an Islamic faith community context.

This is a values-led setting where conduct, manners, and respectful interaction are positioned as daily habits rather than occasional assemblies. The school’s language around behaviour is tied to clear expectations and consistent routines, including teaching Reception-age children to listen carefully and follow instructions from the start.

Faith education is integrated into the rhythm of the week in a way that is straightforward for parents to understand. Alongside a broad curriculum, pupils are taught about their faith, and the school describes Islamic Studies, Arabic, and Quran teaching as a core strand rather than an optional add-on.

The “all-through” structure also shapes the feel of school life. Primary-age pupils take trips and curriculum visits that are anchored in local and regional opportunities, while older students engage in structured responsibilities (such as monitor roles) and guided enrichment that sits alongside GCSE preparation.

The headline external benchmark is the most recent inspection outcome. The latest Ofsted report rated the school Good overall, with all key judgements (quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years) graded Good, and confirmed the school meets the independent school standards.

From the FindMySchool performance dataset, the GCSE picture is more mixed and should be read with care, particularly given the small-cohort dynamics that can affect year-to-year volatility in independent schools. Ranked 3,961st in England and 27th in Stoke-on-Trent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits below England average and falls within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure. The Ebacc average point score is 1.31, compared with an England average of 4.08, and the percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the Ebacc is recorded as 0%.

In practical terms, that combination suggests that families should look beyond headlines and ask detailed questions about subject entry patterns, the curriculum route for different starting points, and how the school supports students into strong passes across English, mathematics, and science as well as the wider Ebacc suite.

(Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to place these outcomes alongside nearby schools on a like-for-like basis.)

Curriculum development is a stated priority, and there is evidence of a structured approach to strengthening sequencing and subject leadership. The school has revised its curriculum design, adopting commercial schemes of work in many subjects and identifying the knowledge and vocabulary expected at each stage. Training and external support are used to build subject leadership capacity and improve consistency.

Early reading is a particularly clear example of “what it looks like” in practice. Phonics begins in Reception, with daily teaching and extra support for pupils who fall behind, and the school also emphasises reading comprehension as part of building fluency and confidence.

For pupils who need additional support, the Centre for Exceptional Children describes a bespoke approach where pupils enrol with EHCPs and follow tailored learning programmes, with multi-agency annual meetings used to track progress toward individual milestones and ensure pupil voice is included.

With education ending at Year 11, the key transition is into post-16 study, training, or employment pathways. The school’s careers education is described as motivating ambitious aspirations and giving students clear steps toward their goals, with work experience placements forming part of the offer for older pupils.

Enrichment is also used to develop readiness for the next stage. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is positioned as a structured route for building skills, service, physical commitment, and expedition planning, with Bronze, Silver, and Gold offered for students in Years 9 to 11.

Because published destination statistics are not available here, families should treat this as an “ask in detail” area. A useful admissions meeting question is how many Year 11 leavers typically move into sixth form colleges, apprenticeship routes, or school sixth forms elsewhere, and what support is provided for competitive post-16 applications.

Admissions are managed directly by the school rather than via local authority coordinated allocations, and the practical steps vary by age.

Nursery entry is handled through an application pack (application form, contract, and funding form), with documents such as a birth certificate and proof of address requested; once paperwork is received, the Nursery Manager confirms settling-in sessions and a start date.

Main school entry is typically framed around a September intake cycle, with the school indicating that admissions for September intake open from November of the prior year. In the absence of clearly published calendar deadlines for 2026 entry, parents should assume the pattern remains similar and confirm the exact timings directly with the school.

Assessment and induction: the school indicates baseline assessment on entry (English and mathematics) and a meeting with senior staff as part of getting to know a new student’s starting point and needs.

Centre for Exceptional Children: entry is described as EHCP funded, which implies that an EHCP is the starting point for accessing this provision, and families are encouraged to discuss suitability and support needs directly with the team.

For families weighing feasibility, it is also worth using FindMySchool’s Saved Schools shortlist feature alongside your practical criteria (travel, timetable fit, costs, and support needs), as those factors can matter as much as educational philosophy in an all-through setting.

Pastoral expectations are anchored in safety, behaviour, and respectful relationships. Bullying is described as not being tolerated, with leaders acting when incidents occur, and pupils are described as happy, attending regularly, and engaging with school life through responsibility roles such as monitors.

The school’s personal development work includes relationships education and structured opportunities for pupils to express opinions through discussion and debate-style activities. This matters for families who want clear alignment between faith ethos and preparation for life in modern Britain, because it signals an intent to combine religious formation with broader civic understanding.

Within the specialist centre, pastoral support is closely tied to individual programmes and communication support, with small-group teaching and planned collaboration with external professionals.

Extracurricular life is organised with distinct options by phase, and several activities are described in concrete, named formats rather than generic “clubs”.

In primary, the school publishes examples of time-bound club offerings such as Primary Engineering (Years 3 and 4), Art and Crafts (Years 1 and 2), and Pen and Paper Games (Years 5 and 6). The implication for families is practical: opportunities appear to be structured and age-specific, which tends to suit children who do best when activities are clearly organised rather than “drop-in”.

In secondary, named clubs include Gavel Club (a Toastmasters-linked format aimed at communication skills), Entrepreneur Club, Coding Club, Cricket Club, Boxing Club (delivered with a local specialist partner), Netball Club, and Eco Club. This mix suggests a deliberate balance between speaking and leadership development, employability-adjacent skills, and physical activity.

The Duke of Edinburgh programme provides an additional “spine” to enrichment for older students, with defined sections and progression routes that can work well for students who like goal-based challenges and evidence of achievement.

As an independent school, North Road Academy charges tuition fees. For 2025 to 2026, published admissions paperwork indicates an annual fee of £5,000 (excluding VAT) for Key Stages 1 and 2, and £6,000 (excluding VAT) for Key Stage 4, with examples shown of how these can be paid annually or in instalments, and VAT set out separately.

A non-refundable £100 administration charge is also stated on admissions paperwork.

On financial support, the school indicates that a limited number of bursaries are available and that assistance is means-tested, with a thorough financial check described as part of the process. Because no published bursary percentages or scholarship award scales are provided, families should treat bursary availability as selective rather than assumed.

The school day differs by phase. Reception runs 08:30 to 15:15 Monday to Thursday, with a shorter finish at 12:00 on Fridays. Primary starts at 08:20 and runs to 15:40 Monday to Thursday, then 12:10 on Fridays. Secondary starts at 08:05 and runs to 15:40 Monday to Thursday, then 12:10 on Fridays.

The school also states it cannot accept responsibility for children before 08:00. Details of before and after-school wraparound care are not clearly published; families who need this should ask for current provision and costs directly, particularly given the early Friday finishes.

For travel and access, the school positions itself as reachable for commuting parents, referencing road access via the M6 and rail links across the wider region.

• Inspection improvement journey. The school moved from Requires Improvement at the prior standard inspection to Good in November 2024. This is a positive trajectory, but families should ask how the school is tackling the remaining inconsistency noted around staff expertise and task alignment to learning goals.

• GCSE performance signals. FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places outcomes below England average on this dataset measure. Families should ask for cohort context, subject entry strategy, and what support looks like for students aiming for strong passes across a broad suite.

• Fees and VAT structure. Published documents show phase-specific fees (and VAT treatment) rather than a simple single price across the school, and there is an administration charge. Clarify the total cost for your child’s year group, including exam-related extras and any additional charges.

• All-through fit. An all-through model can be reassuring for continuity, but it also means culture and expectations are consistent over many years. It is worth confirming that the approach matches your child’s temperament at both primary and secondary age.

North Road Academy will suit families who want an Islamic through-school model, a structured behaviour culture, and continuity from the early years to GCSE, with the additional option of EHCP-led support via the Centre for Exceptional Children. The latest inspection outcome provides reassurance on standards and safeguarding, and the named extracurricular offer, particularly in secondary, suggests purposeful enrichment rather than filler.

The key diligence area is academic outcomes at GCSE on the available dataset measure and how the school ensures consistently strong teaching across staff. This is best suited to families who are ready to engage closely with the school’s curriculum plan, cost structure, and the specifics of support for their child’s learning needs and aspirations.