St Peter's CofE Academy, Stoke-on-Trent Review 2026: A rebuilding school with stronger routines and clearer curriculum delivery

A few years ago, the headline story here was inconsistency. The most recent inspection picture is different, it points to a school that has stabilised expectations, strengthened leadership capacity, and put more reliable classroom routines in place. The latest inspection grades all four judgement areas as Good, which matters because it signals consistency across curriculum quality, behaviour, personal development, and leadership, rather than a single bright spot.

This is an 11 to 16 Church of England academy in Fenton, part of Woodard Academies Trust and connected to the Lichfield Diocesan Board of Education. The principal is Michael Astley, who took up post on 01 September 2015. The school is oversubscribed on the Year 7 route in the most recently provided demand data, so entry is competitive without being in the “lottery odds” category seen at the most sought-after comprehensives.

Academic performance, based on the supplied attainment and progress indicators, remains a key improvement priority. The direction of travel described in formal reporting is that curriculum changes are supporting stronger current learning, even while published outcomes, including in 2024, have been low compared with England norms.

The tone the school sets is purposeful and increasingly calm. External evidence describes lessons as orderly, with pupils able to learn without distractions, and with positive relationships between pupils and staff supporting a stronger sense of community. This matters for families because it is the baseline condition for everything else, sustained learning, attendance, and pupils feeling safe enough to focus.

Personal development is not treated as an optional add-on. The school’s “Wacadays” are used as reward days to recognise engagement, which can be particularly motivating in a school working to rebuild habits and attendance. There is also a student union, which gives pupil voice a formal channel. The value for parents is practical rather than philosophical, schools that take voice seriously often surface issues earlier and resolve them with less escalation.

As a Church of England school, the Christian foundation will matter more to some families than others. What is clear, from official commentary, is that the school aims to prepare pupils well for wider life and future pathways, and that pupils are taught about protected characteristics and fundamental British values through personal development and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education). In practice, that usually suits families who want a values-led framework, while still expecting a broad intake that reflects the local community.

This review uses the supplied performance dataset for outcomes and ranking statements.

GCSE outcomes

The most direct indicator is an Attainment 8 score of 37.4, alongside a Progress 8 score of -0.58. A negative Progress 8 figure indicates that, on average, pupils are making below-average progress from their starting points, compared with pupils nationally with similar prior attainment.

The school’s GCSE outcomes ranking places it ranked 3,471st in England and 21st in Stoke-on-Trent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This positioning sits below England average overall, placing it within the lower-performing portion of schools on this measure.

EBacc participation and achievement

The EBacc indicators point to a school still building momentum in this area. The average EBacc APS is 3.04, and the percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure provided is 2.1. While EBacc is not the only marker of a strong education, it is a useful proxy for uptake and success in a broad academic suite.

What to take from this as a parent

The performance picture suggests two things can be true at once. Published outcomes have been weak, but the most recent inspection narrative indicates that curriculum improvements are beginning to show in day-to-day learning for current pupils. If you are considering the school now, it is sensible to focus less on historic grades alone and more on whether current classroom practice and behaviour expectations are reliably embedded.

Curriculum design is now described as broad and coherent, with deliberate sequencing to build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. That matters because schools that are rebuilding often struggle with inconsistency across departments, strong in pockets but uneven overall. The evidence here is that the school is aiming for a more standardised experience.

Reading is positioned as a priority, described explicitly as a bedrock of the school. The practical implication is that pupils with weaker literacy should be identified early and supported, and that reading is likely to be reinforced across subjects rather than confined to English.

Teaching quality appears stronger where staff consistently check pupils’ understanding and act on misconceptions. The improvement point flagged formally is variability, some misconceptions and gaps are not spotted quickly enough, which slows learning for those pupils. For families, this is a useful question to probe on a visit, how departments ensure common standards in explanation, checking, and responsive teaching.

This is an 11 to 16 school with no sixth form in the supplied profile, so post-16 progression is a key transition point. The school runs a careers programme described as comprehensive, aimed at preparing pupils for education, employment and training.

In practical terms, families should expect Year 10 and Year 11 to include structured guidance around post-16 routes, with pupils needing to decide between sixth forms and further education colleges locally. When comparing options, it is worth asking how careers guidance is personalised, especially for pupils considering technical pathways, apprenticeships, or colleges with specific entry requirements.

The provided demand data for the Year 7 entry route indicates 364 applications for 207 offers, with an oversubscribed status and a subscription proportion of 1.76. This suggests competition, but not extreme scarcity.

For families applying for September 2026 entry (Year 7) in Stoke-on-Trent, the local authority timetable sets clear deadlines. The secondary application round opens on 01 September 2025, the closing date is 31 October 2025, and offers are made on 02 March 2026. This timetable is important, even for academy schools, because the coordinated system drives the practical application process for most families.

Because the school is oversubscribed, families should treat admissions criteria as decisive. Use FindMySchool’s Map Search tools to sanity-check location and travel assumptions early, and to compare nearby alternatives if you are unlikely to meet the criteria once allocations tighten.

Pastoral support is a defining strength in formal reporting, with pupils described as feeling safe and cared for. That safety foundation is reinforced through PSHE coverage that includes protected characteristics and the language pupils need to communicate effectively and stay safe.

There is also explicit emphasis on staff wellbeing, with the school prioritising staff wellbeing so teams can work effectively to sustain an inclusive culture. For parents, this is not a soft factor. Stable, supported staff typically correlate with more predictable behaviour management and fewer disruptions to learning.

Attendance has been a major focus. The most recent evidence states the school understands barriers to regular attendance and has put initiatives in place that have led to significant improvement. If attendance has been an issue for your child previously, it is worth exploring what those initiatives look like in practice, and how the school blends challenge with support.

Extracurricular and personal development provision is clearly used as a lever for engagement.

A key example is Wacadays, the school’s reward days, used to recognise participation and positive engagement. The implication is that pupils who need motivation or a reset after a difficult start can find tangible incentives tied to the behaviour and attendance culture the school is trying to build.

Leadership opportunities show up in several specific programmes. The student union ensures pupil voice is structured, and young translators is named as a leadership pathway. For bilingual pupils or those with a strong interest in languages and inclusion, young translators can be a meaningful responsibility rather than a token role.

Clubs are referenced with concrete examples rather than generic lists, including boxing and mythology, which is an unusually wide spread across sport and academic interest. That range matters for fit. A school that offers both is usually trying to keep a broad group of pupils engaged, not just those who thrive in conventional sports or the most academic societies.

Wellbeing support is also integrated into wider school life through initiatives such as well-being buddies. The practical value is peer-to-peer support, which can complement adult pastoral structures, especially for pupils who find it easier to open up to other pupils first.

The school is located at Fenton Manor, close to the Fenton Manor sports complex area and off Victoria Road in Fenton. For rail travel, Stoke-on-Trent station is a short distance away from the Fenton Manor area, typically a short taxi journey.

The school’s published day-to-day timings and term dates should be checked directly with the school because these can change with operational adjustments. If you are planning wraparound arrangements, confirm what is available for secondary-aged pupils, as provision varies widely by school.

• Academic outcomes are still a rebuilding area. The dataset shows an Attainment 8 score of 37.4 and Progress 8 of -0.58, suggesting pupils have, on average, made below-average progress from their starting points. For some children this will be a manageable challenge; for others it may be a decisive factor if you are prioritising high-attainment peer culture.

• Behaviour consistency is improving, but not yet uniform for all pupils. Formal reporting highlights that a minority of pupils struggle to meet revised expectations and that suspensions are an area the school aims to reduce. Families should ask how behaviour support works for pupils who need more structure.

• EBacc breadth is an active development area. Formal reporting notes low completion of EBacc subjects, alongside plans to increase this. If you want a strongly academic subject mix as standard, ask what the typical Key Stage 4 curriculum looks like now, and how options are guided.

• Oversubscription requires disciplined planning. With 364 applications for 207 offers in the supplied demand data, entry is competitive. Families should treat deadlines and criteria as decisive rather than assuming places will be available late.

St Peter's CofE Academy, Stoke-on-Trent looks like a school that has moved from instability towards clearer routines, stronger behaviour expectations, and a more coherent curriculum offer. The latest inspection grades across all four areas reinforce that sense of consolidation. Academic outcomes remain the major question, and families should weigh published performance indicators against evidence of improving day-to-day learning and culture.

Who it suits: pupils who benefit from strong pastoral scaffolding, clear rules, and a school that is actively rebuilding consistency, particularly those who engage well with structured personal development and varied clubs. Families seeking consistently high academic outcomes should probe deeply on current Key Stage 4 practice and subject pathways before committing.