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Best secondary schools in Staffordshire

56 of 70 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Staffordshire schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 The Friary School Lichfield 0.86 Good oversubscribed 1.24 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Painsley Catholic College Stoke-on-Trent 0.51 Good about even 1.01 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 John Taylor High School Burton-on-Trent 0.49 Not judged about even 1.04 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 Kingsmead School Cannock 0.44 Good about even 1.12 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Blessed William Howard Catholic School Stafford 0.41 Good about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 Wolgarston High School Stafford 0.38 Good — approximate
7 Madeley High School Crewe 0.3 Good about even 1.14 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy Burton-on-Trent 0.29 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.54 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Kinver High School and Sixth Form Stourbridge 0.28 Good improving about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 Erasmus Darwin Academy Burntwood 0.27 Good about even 1.09 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 Codsall Community High School Wolverhampton 0.19 Good declining — approximate
12 King Edward VI School Lichfield 0.18 Good about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Alleyne's Academy Stone 0.06 Good — approximate
14 Landau Forte Academy, QEMS Tamworth 0.06 Good oversubscribed 1.33 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 The de Ferrers Academy Burton-on-Trent 0.05 Good about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 Clayton Hall Academy Newcastle-under-Lyme hidden gem 0.0 Good improving undersubscribed 0.8 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 The Hart School Rugeley hidden gem -0.06 Good undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 Blythe Bridge High School Stoke-on-Trent -0.08 Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Great Wyrley Academy Walsall hidden gem -0.08 Good about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
20 Wombourne High School Wolverhampton hidden gem -0.08 Good improving undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
21 The Weston Road Academy Stafford -0.09 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
22 Chesterton Community Sports College Newcastle -0.1 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
23 Westwood College Leek -0.13 Requires improvement — approximate
24 Endon High School Stoke-on-Trent -0.14 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
25 Sir Graham Balfour High School Stafford -0.17 Good about even 1.01 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
26 Paget High School Burton-on-Trent -0.19 Good about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
27 Moorside High School Stoke-on-Trent -0.2 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
28 The Rural Enterprise Academy Penkridge -0.21 Inadequate declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
29 Cheslyn Hay Academy Walsall -0.22 Good about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
30 Abbot Beyne School Burton-on-Trent -0.27 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
31 Walton High School Stafford -0.28 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
32 John Taylor Free School Burton-on-Trent -0.3 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
33 Cardinal Griffin Catholic College Cannock -0.31 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
34 King Edward VI High School Stafford -0.34 Not judged undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
35 Cannock Chase High School Cannock -0.38 Good improving about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
36 Thomas Alleyne's High School Uttoxeter -0.38 Good — approximate
37 St John Fisher Catholic College Newcastle Under Lyme -0.4 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
38 The Wilnecote School Tamworth -0.43 Good improving about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
39 Lift Rawlett Tamworth -0.44 Not judged declining undersubscribed 0.6 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
40 The Orme Academy Newcastle -0.44 Good improving about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
41 Chase Terrace Academy Burntwood -0.45 Not judged about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
42 Sir Thomas Boughey Academy Stoke-on-Trent -0.46 Good about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
43 The JCB Academy Rocester -0.46 Good — approximate
44 Norton Canes High School Cannock -0.49 Requires improvement improving about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
45 Kidsgrove Secondary School Stoke-on-Trent -0.5 Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
46 Landau Forte Academy, Amington Tamworth -0.58 Good about even 1.01 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
47 Lift Tamworth Tamworth -0.63 Not judged about even 0.88 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
48 The Cheadle Academy Stoke-on-Trent -0.68 Good improving about even 0.88 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
49 Paulet High School Burton-on-Trent -0.69 Good about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
50 Nether Stowe School Lichfield -0.7 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.46 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
51 The King's CofE Academy Stoke-on-Trent -0.72 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
52 Staffordshire University Academy Cannock -0.74 Good improving about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
53 Biddulph High School Stoke-on-Trent -0.75 Good — approximate
54 Leek High School Leek -1.1 Requires improvement improving — approximate
55 Stafford Manor High School Stafford -1.13 Requires improvement about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
56 Newcastle Academy Newcastle Under Lyme hidden gem -1.19 Good improving undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Also in Staffordshire

14 further secondary schools with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Staffordshire, not a fairer one.

Applying in Staffordshire

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Staffordshire admission criteria.

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