Birches Head Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades Birches Head Academy on 6 areas: 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement in public examinations has been very low."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "There has been a sustained focus on improving attendance, with steady progress being made year on year."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have a clear vision for what teaching and learning should look like."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders across the school place a high emphasis on inclusion."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "There have been key changes in both school leadership and governance since the previous graded inspection, including a new principal and vice principal, who started 2 years ago."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have put together the ‘be more' programme, which supports pupils' wider personal, social and cultural development."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that their existing priorities and actions become embedded and continue to show improvement in raising examination outcomes, reducing the number of suspensions and reducing persistent absence for pupils who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing"; "Leaders should ensure that all staff develop the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively so that pupils secure the key learning and depth of knowledge they need for future success. This includes staff making appropriate adaptations to learning during lessons"; "Leaders should ensure that all pupils understand the importance of treating each other with respect and the impact of their language and attitudes on each other".

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Birches Head Academy (BHA), part of The Frank Field Education Trust, where our collective vision is that “Social Justice can be achieved through Excellence in Education”."

In 2026, pupils at Birches Head Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.4 in Stoke-on-Trent and 47 across England.

20% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 36% in Stoke-on-Trent and 47% in England.

That is up from 31.3 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.95: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.9, against 35.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and History.

For September 2026 entry, 69 families put Birches Head Academy as their first choice and 164 named it as one of their preferences, for 129 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Birches Head Academy are The Excel Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7); Haywood Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.4); St Peter's CofE Academy (2.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 34.2); and Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.2).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Birches Head Academy.

Birches Head Academy is one of 3 schools run by Frank Field Education Trust, an academy trust.

28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Birches Head Academy (as of April 2026): 39% would recommend the school, 43% say their child is happy there and 47% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (47%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (25%).

Of the 210 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

41.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 28.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Asian (13%) and Black (11%).

In 2026, 146 pupils (15.8%) received SEN support and 17 (1.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.

In 2024/25, Birches Head Academy issued 1161 suspensions, 121.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 14 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Birches Head Academy are Holden Lane Academy (0.2 miles), Abbey Hulton Primary School (0.6 miles), Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy (0.6 miles) and Carmountside Primary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.