Birches Head Academy
Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 8DD · Stoke-on-Trent · secondary school
14th of 14 secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent we can score, 15 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 0.2/10 against 575 of them, against 0.3/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 1 | 35% | 0.02 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2024/25 | 17.1 · 2 | 30% | 0.06 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.95 · 4 | 25% | 0.09 |
| Attainment 8 2024/25 | 31.3 · 2 | 10% | 0.02 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Get to know the school
How it's doing. The school was rated Inadequate by Ofsted in April 2024. In 2024/25, 17.1% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 31.3, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.95 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.2 out of 10 against similar schools, 0.3 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in. There are 953 pupils in a school with 1040 places, leaving 87 spare places. The school has a little room, but is fairly full.
Worth asking on a visit. How does the leadership team plan to address the Inadequate rating from the 2024 inspection? What specific steps are being taken to improve the Progress 8 score, which is currently below the national benchmark? How does the school support pupils in reaching the national median for Attainment 8?
Written by AI from this school's published results, inspection record and its own website — not by Ofsted, the school, or SchoolsGPT staff. Every figure above comes from the sources on this page. Check anything that matters with the school.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
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