Best Schools in Stoke-on-Trent

How many schools are there in Stoke-on-Trent?

Stoke-on-Trent has 183 open schools: 121 state primary, 26 state secondary or all-through, 6 independent, 26 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Stoke-on-Trent are rated Outstanding?

24 schools in Stoke-on-Trent were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Aurora Hanley School, Sporting Stars Academy, Whitfield Valley Primary Academy, Newstead Primary Academy, St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School and 19 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 154 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.

Aurora Hanley SchoolSporting Stars AcademyWhitfield Valley Primary AcademyNewstead Primary AcademySt Gabriel's Catholic Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent get the best GCSE results?

Of the 27 schools in Stoke-on-Trent with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Joseph's College (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 63.6 and 84% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Painsley Catholic College, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.3 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Endon High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Joseph's CollegePainsley Catholic CollegeEndon High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent have the best SATs results?

Of the 101 primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Filumena's Catholic Primary School (96% in reading, 100% in maths); Great Wood Community Primary School (93% in reading, 100% in maths); and St Thomas' Catholic Primary School (94% in reading, 97% 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.

St Filumena's Catholic Primary SchoolGreat Wood Community Primary SchoolSt Thomas' Catholic Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Stoke-on-Trent?

Yes. St Joseph's College is a state grammar school in Stoke-on-Trent. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

St Joseph's College

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Stoke-on-Trent?

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 these schools: Alsagers Bank Primary Academy, 3.157 miles for 2026 entry; Blythe Bridge High School, 4.576 miles for 2026 entry; Endon High School, 1.524 miles for 2026 entry; Moorside High School, 3.967 miles for 2026 entry; Springcroft Primary School, 0.814 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 12 schools in Stoke-on-Trent; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Alsagers Bank Primary AcademyBlythe Bridge High SchoolEndon High SchoolMoorside High SchoolSpringcroft Primary School

Source: Staffordshire admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Stoke-on-Trent?

Apply to your council - Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire or Cheshire East, depending on your address - 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.