Best Schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme

How many schools are there in Newcastle-under-Lyme?

Newcastle-under-Lyme has 18 open schools: 7 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 4 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group and Blackfriars Academy. Counting Good as well, 87% of the 15 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Newcastle and Stafford Colleges GroupBlackfriars Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Clayton Hall Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; St John Fisher Catholic College, with an Attainment 8 score of 41.7 and 39% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Newcastle Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 31.9 and 14% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Clayton Hall AcademySt John Fisher Catholic CollegeNewcastle Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme have the best SATs results?

Of the 7 primary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Baldwins Gate CofE(VC) Primary School (85% in reading, 92% in maths); Sun Academy Bradwell (88% in reading, 85% in maths); and St Mary's Catholic Primary School (81% in reading, 83% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Baldwins Gate CofE(VC) Primary SchoolSun Academy BradwellSt Mary's Catholic Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Staffordshire published how far the last place offered went at this school: Westlands Primary School, 1.227 miles for 2026 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Westlands Primary School

Source: Staffordshire admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Newcastle-under-Lyme?

Apply to Staffordshire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.