Ormiston Meridian Academy Review 2026: A structured, improvement-driven secondary in Meir

A clear sense of structure runs through life at Ormiston Meridian Academy, from the defined lesson timetable to the way expectations are communicated to students. The academy is part of Ormiston Academies Trust and has been in the trust since September 2017, which matters because it frames the school’s approach to curriculum, training, and systems.

The latest Ofsted inspection, carried out in January 2022, judged the academy Good overall and Good across all key areas.

Leadership continuity is also a feature, with Mrs Claire Stanyer as Principal since 01 September 2019.

The dominant impression is of a school that places weight on routines, relationships, and clarity. External evaluation describes an academy where leaders, staff and students have worked together with determination to raise standards, with staff expectations centred on hard work, good behaviour, and valuing others.

A notable cultural marker is the academy’s house system, used to build belonging and reinforce expectations through rewards. This matters for families because it can make a large secondary feel more personal, especially for Year 7 students settling into a new environment.

Leadership messaging is consistently future-facing. Careers and personal development are not treated as bolt-ons, they sit alongside academic priorities, with a published emphasis on preparation for post-16 routes and employment.

On GCSE measures, the academy’s outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). That profile suggests a school that is broadly typical on headline performance, with the most important question for families being how well it supports progress for their child from their starting point.

Ranked 2,456th in England and 10th in Stoke-on-Trent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

Attainment 8 sits at 42.4, while Progress 8 is -0.24, indicating that, on average, students make slightly below-average progress compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. EBacc outcomes look like an area to watch: 14.7% of students achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc suite, and the average EBacc APS score is 3.67, compared with an England average of 4.08.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool are useful for viewing these metrics side-by-side with nearby schools, rather than relying on single headline figures.

Curriculum planning is described as deliberate and sequenced, with subject teams identifying what students must know, and what it is useful to know, then structuring content so that teachers are clear on what to teach and when. In lessons, checking for recall and understanding is a routine expectation.

Where this becomes relevant for day-to-day experience is in consistency. Students typically benefit when classroom expectations and teaching routines are stable across subjects, particularly in Key Stage 3 when habits form quickly. The academy’s published curriculum outline also signals a broad Key Stage 3 offer that includes performing arts, design technology, and French alongside core subjects.

Two development priorities flagged in formal evaluation are also worth translating into practical terms. One is increasing the proportion of students studying the English Baccalaureate pathway, which links directly to the academy’s relatively low EBacc measures. The other is building a stronger reading-for-pleasure culture, which can influence vocabulary, confidence, and wider attainment over time.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form on site, every student transitions at 16. The academy’s careers programme is explicit about covering post-16 choices, including alternatives to sixth form and pathways such as apprenticeships, with support on interviews, CVs, and personal statements.

The academy also publishes a Provider Access policy which lists local providers invited into school, including Stoke City College, Stoke Sixth Form, and Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group. For families, this is a useful indicator that students are exposed to a range of routes rather than a single “default” destination.

Some destination outcomes are also published in academy documentation. In 2023, the academy reports that apprenticeships accounted for 7% of Year 11 leavers, with a reported NEET figure of 1%; it also states that all disadvantaged Year 11 leavers secured a post-16 destination. These figures matter because they speak to transition support for students who may not be heading for a traditional academic route.

Year 7 admission is coordinated through Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s normal secondary admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the council’s published timetable shows applications opening 01 September 2025, closing 31 October 2025, with offers made on 02 March 2026.

The academy’s admissions arrangements confirm a Published Admission Number of 180 for Year 7, and set out the usual priority order, starting with children in care and previously looked-after children, followed by other children allocated by distance from the academy (using the definitions in the policy).

If distance is likely to be decisive for your family, it is sensible to use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand how your home compares with typical local travel patterns, then validate your assumptions against the local authority’s admissions guidance before you commit to a move.

Pastoral systems are described as proactive, with leaders following up concerns carefully to make sure students receive the right support. Inspectors also reported that students feel safe and trust staff to listen and act when concerns are raised.

Safeguarding roles are clearly identified in academy documentation, and the senior team includes a Vice Principal with a safeguarding and behaviour remit, which signals that conduct and safety are treated as leadership priorities rather than delegated tasks.

The SEND structure is also transparent, with a named SENCo and senior inclusion leadership. This matters less for marketing and more for responsiveness, families want to know who holds the responsibility when support plans need to move quickly.

Extracurricular life is clearly organised and publicised, with an academy timetable of clubs and societies and a stated aim of encouraging participation beyond lessons.

A distinctive feature is the Duke of Edinburgh offer. The academy describes itself as one of the largest Duke of Edinburgh centres in Staffordshire, with over 90 Year 9 students participating each year. The implication is twofold: there is likely to be strong infrastructure around volunteering and expedition planning, and participation becomes normalised rather than niche.

The club programme itself includes several clearly named options that go beyond generic lists. Examples include Brilliant Book Society, Chess Society, Origami Society, Lego Society, Cinema Society, a Reading and Writing Society, and an In Harmony Orchestra (by invitation). There are also wellbeing and routine-support elements such as Breakfast Society for Year 7 and Homework and Independent Learning sessions, which can be particularly valuable for students who need a calm, supervised space to build study habits.

Sport and physical activity appear broad and accessible, with sessions listed such as basketball, netball, trampolining, and a rotating badminton, table tennis, and dodgeball slot. Some opportunities involve external venues, for example a swimming session hosted at Fenton Manor with a small participant charge noted in the programme.

The academy day is precisely timetabled. Students line up at 08:35, form time runs from 08:40 to 09:10, and the final period ends at 15:15. This equates to 6 hours 35 minutes per day, and 32 hours 55 minutes per week.

Because this is a state school, there are no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the practical costs that typically sit around secondary education, including uniform, equipment, trips, and any optional extracurricular activities with charges.

• EBacc participation is a known improvement priority. Formal evaluation states that too few students study a modern foreign language at Key Stage 4, which reduces the EBacc pathway. If the EBacc matters to your family, ask how options are structured and how languages are encouraged.

• Reading culture is an explicit development area. External evaluation highlighted that too few students read for pleasure, with an expectation that leaders strengthen enthusiasm and habits around reading. Families may want to understand how this is being addressed in tutor time, library access, and curriculum design.

• Progress measures are slightly below average. A Progress 8 score of -0.24 suggests the typical student makes a little less progress than peers nationally with similar prior attainment. The practical question is what targeted support looks like for students who are behind, or those capable of high grades.

• All students move on at 16. With no sixth form, transition planning is essential. The academy’s provider links and careers programme are positives, but families should still engage early, especially if considering apprenticeships or technical routes.

Ormiston Meridian Academy is best understood as a structured, systems-led secondary that places strong emphasis on routines, relationships, and planning for life after Year 11. The Good judgement across all inspection areas and the clear timetable-driven approach support a stable school experience, while published priorities around reading culture and EBacc uptake indicate where the next stage of improvement is focused.

Who it suits: families looking for a mainstream, mixed secondary in Meir with a clearly organised day, visible extracurricular participation (including a large Duke of Edinburgh cohort), and a careers programme that actively engages local post-16 providers.