The Cheadle Academy Review 2026: Small secondary with a clear standards focus, plus a strong pastoral backbone

A smaller-than-it-looks secondary on paper, The Cheadle Academy currently runs as an 11 to 16 school day-to-day, even though it is registered to 18. The most recent inspection confirmed that standards have been maintained since the previous graded inspection, with pastoral care highlighted as a strength and safeguarding judged effective.

The academy’s approach leans towards clarity and routines. The published timetable sets out a structured day from 8:45 arrival to a 15:15 finish, built around five one-hour lessons.

For families weighing up fit, the key context is scale and trajectory. The school roll reported by Ofsted is around 400 pupils, which can support a more personal feel, but also means cohort size and subject groupings can look different to larger local comprehensives.

This is a school that signals its priorities openly: high expectations, visible routines, and a deliberate emphasis on respectful conduct. The inspection evidence aligns with that positioning, describing a friendly culture where pupils know who to speak to if worried, and where day-to-day care and support are part of the school’s working model.

Leadership has also been in a recent phase of change. The current principal is Mrs N Slack, who commenced the role in January 2024. A new senior team often brings tighter consistency, but it can also mean policies and classroom routines are still bedding in. Here, the evidence points to leaders focusing on lesson structure, workload, and rebuilding learning habits, with staff reporting that workload and wellbeing have been considered explicitly.

A distinctive feature is the house framing. The academy presents four houses, Community, Pioneer, Legacy, and Curiosity, each linked to a set of values and local reference points. In practice, this kind of house model tends to work best when it is used for more than assemblies and badges, for example, when it anchors tutor time, rewards, competition, and pupil leadership roles. The inspection record suggests pupils do take on formal responsibilities, including roles such as librarians and mental health ambassadors, which can give a smaller school an extra layer of social structure and belonging.

One further cultural marker is the reading emphasis. The school’s “reading mindfulness” programme is described as supporting pupils’ interest in reading, alongside a strategy for identifying pupils who struggle and offering targeted practice. For families, the implication is straightforward: if your child benefits from consistent literacy routines and active encouragement to read, the whole-school direction should feel supportive.

At GCSE level, the academy’s 2024 headline figures indicate an Attainment 8 score of 37 and a Progress 8 score of -0.68. Progress 8 is designed so that 0 is the England average; a negative score typically indicates pupils, on average, make less progress than peers nationally from similar starting points.

The academy is ranked 3,520th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 23rd in the Stoke-on-Trent local area on the same measure. This places performance below England average overall, within the bottom 40% band nationally.

If you are comparing locally, the most useful interpretation is not simply the rank itself, but what it implies about consistency. Schools at this end of the distribution often have pockets of strong practice alongside variability between subjects, sets, or groups. That is consistent with the improvement priorities identified in the latest inspection, which focused on ensuring teachers give precise feedback on next steps and that information about pupils with SEND is specific enough to support classroom adaptations.

Post-16 results show A-level outcomes, but the on-the-ground context matters. The most recent inspection confirms the sixth form was closed at the time of the visit and that there were no sixth form students on roll. This means A-level performance data is best treated as historical evidence from when post-16 provision was operating, rather than a description of the current offer.

Within that context, the A-level measure shows 30.77% of grades at A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% on the same indicator. The academy’s A-level ranking is 2,151st in England (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 8th in the Stoke-on-Trent local area.

An important note for high-attaining families: Oxbridge applications and outcomes are recorded with seven applications, one offer, and one acceptance in the measurement period. In a smaller school, even one successful application can represent a meaningful individual pathway, but families should interpret it as evidence that the route is possible, not that it is a standard pipeline.

The clearest teaching and learning story here is curriculum sequencing plus a push for consistency in classroom routines. The inspection evidence describes an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum, with pupils including those with SEND following the same curriculum path. The implication for families is positive where expectations are high and curriculum access is not reduced prematurely. In practical terms, pupils are less likely to be steered into narrow options early, which helps keep doors open at Key Stage 4.

The second strand is lesson structure refinement. Recent changes to lesson structures are described as helping pupils recall knowledge and skills over time. That points to a teaching model that values retrieval, practice, and building long-term memory, which tends to suit pupils who do best with clear scaffolding and repetition of core knowledge.

The improvement priorities, however, matter for day-to-day experience. Where feedback lacks precision, pupils can complete work without knowing exactly what to fix, which can slow progress, especially for pupils who do not automatically self-correct. Similarly, where SEND profiles are not translated into precise classroom strategies, support can become generic rather than targeted. The right parental questions on a visit are therefore concrete: how does feedback work in my child’s subjects, what does it look like in books, and how are SEND strategies communicated to classroom staff?

Because the sixth form is currently closed, the most relevant destinations conversation is about pathways after Year 11. The school’s careers programme is described as well organised, with independent advice for next steps, and Year 10 work experience also appears as part of the model.

For the most recent published 16 to 18 destinations cohort (2023/24), 44% progressed to university, 6% moved into apprenticeships, and 25% entered employment. In a small cohort, these percentages can move sharply year to year, but they do show a mixed set of routes rather than a single dominant pathway.

Families should also factor in practicalities created by a closed sixth form: travel time, transport cost, and how a new post-16 setting will support your child’s learning style. If your child benefits from familiarity and smaller groups, it is worth asking how transition support is handled for the most common local routes, including sixth form colleges and vocational providers.

Year 7 applications are coordinated through the local authority. The Staffordshire timeline for the 2026 entry cycle shows an application closing date of 31 October 2025, with offers issued in March 2026. The academy is its own admission authority but participates in the coordinated scheme, which is the standard model for academies.

The published admission number (PAN) stated in the Staffordshire admissions material is 120. Where applications exceed PAN, the published priority order starts with children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the academy, followed by looked-after and previously looked-after children, then catchment, then siblings, then exceptional circumstances, then distance.

For in-year admissions, the school provides a live snapshot on its website indicating that Year 7 was full and not accepting admissions at the time of posting, while some other year groups showed spaces. That is useful evidence that year-group capacity can vary markedly across the school, so families considering a mid-year move should treat it as a year-by-year conversation rather than a blanket assumption.

Parents who want a data-led approach to shortlisting should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check likely travel distance and compare alternatives, especially since the last offered distance figure is not available for this school.

Pastoral care is positioned as a formal system rather than a loose set of good intentions. The school describes delivery through a house system and tutorial programme, PSHE and citizenship, careers procedures, a drop-in clinic, a supervisor system, student listeners, and the student council. This breadth suggests multiple routes for pupils to seek help, which matters particularly in a smaller community where relationships are more visible.

Inspection evidence supports a strong pastoral narrative, describing pupils as safe and knowing who to talk to, and also pointing to reduced suspensions and improved attendance as expectations have been reinforced. The practical implication is that families who want a school to intervene early on attendance, behaviour, and emotional wellbeing should find the approach aligned with that priority.

A sensible caution is to ask how the school balances supportive pastoral work with high expectations for conduct, particularly for pupils with anxiety, attention challenges, or prior negative school experiences. In schools where standards are emphasised, the best outcomes come when routines are consistent but responses remain proportionate and restorative.

For a smaller school, the extracurricular picture is more detailed than many parents expect, and it also links directly to learning support. The published programme includes structured academic support such as Year 11 study support, subject revision sessions, and SEND or Key Stage 3 homework support. The implication is that intervention is not only a classroom matter; there are clear routes for pupils to get extra help in the week.

Enrichment clubs also have specific named options. The programme lists activities including Musical Theatre, a Singing Group, Debate Society, Diversity Club, and sport options such as football, badminton, table tennis, dodgeball, netball, and volleyball. This matters because breadth is not just about interest, it is also about belonging. Pupils who are not driven by team sport still have visible routes into performing arts, discussion-based activities, and leadership.

Duke of Edinburgh appears as a members-only activity on the timetable, and the inspection record also references residential trips designed to widen experience. For parents, the best question to ask is how access is managed, whether cost is a barrier, and what support exists to help pupils take part if family circumstances are tight.

The school day runs from 8:45 arrival to a 15:15 finish, with five one-hour lessons and a tutor period.

The school does not present itself as a wraparound-care provider in the way primary schools do. Instead, the practical extension of the day comes through lunchtime and after-school clubs, plus targeted support sessions. Parents who need early drop-off or late collection as a regular arrangement should confirm what is available, as the published information focuses on learning and enrichment rather than childcare.

Transport information is limited on published pages, but school communications indicate pupils use local bus services, and the school liaises with those services when routines change. Families considering a longer commute should check operator routes and timings directly, then map that against the 15:15 finish and the timing of after-school activities.

• Sixth form currently closed. Although the school is registered to 18, the most recent inspection confirms there were no sixth form students on roll at that point. Families planning a full 11 to 18 journey should factor in a likely post-16 move.

• GCSE progress is below England average. A Progress 8 score of -0.68 suggests pupils, on average, make less progress than peers nationally. Parents should ask how subject-level consistency is being strengthened, particularly around feedback and SEND classroom adaptations.

• Small-school dynamics. A smaller roll can mean stronger relationships and faster support, but it can also mean fewer parallel classes and less flexibility in some option blocks. This is worth exploring at Key Stage 4 options time.

• Admission timing is firm. For 2026 entry, the Staffordshire closing date is 31 October 2025, with offers issued in March 2026. Families moving into area should plan early and be realistic about year-group capacity.

The Cheadle Academy is best understood as a smaller secondary with a strong emphasis on routines, behaviour, and pastoral systems, backed by an inspection record that confirms safeguarding effectiveness and improving learning habits under recent leadership. It will suit families who want clear standards, structured support, and defined routes into clubs and interventions.

The key challenge is aligning expectations with outcomes. GCSE progress measures are below England average, so parents should focus enquiries on how consistency is being driven across subjects, and what the school does when pupils fall behind. For families comfortable with a post-16 move, and who value a school that combines care with firm expectations, this can be a practical, focused choice.