Charlton School, Telford

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Charlton School on 6 areas: 2 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have established clear systems to foster pupils' regular attendance."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a comprehensive and well-thought-out personal development programme that takes into account the local area."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Too many pupils do not achieve as well as they should from their starting points."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding effectively."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders are ambitious for all pupils' achievement, but this ambition is not realised consistently across the school."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Recent changes to the school's leadership have brought about a renewed drive for improvement."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff identify pupils' needs effectively and share appropriate strategies with teachers to overcome any barriers to learning"; "Leaders should ensure that staff use checks on pupils' learning consistently to address gaps in pupils' knowledge"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers consider pupils' starting points to meet the specific needs of all pupils and lead to consistently high outcomes"; "Leaders and governors should ensure that they continue to take robust actions that lead to rapid improvements across the school".

In its own words: "Charlton is a successful and popular 11-16 comprehensive school. We are well established and respected in our local community, with a consistent record of high standards. This is attributable to good examination results and acknowledges our caring and supportive environment, combining formality with good relationships between adults and students."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, athletics, gymnastics, basketball, dance, drama, photography and book club.

In 2026, pupils at Charlton School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.9 in Telford and Wrekin and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Telford and Wrekin and 47% in England.

That is up from 42.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.41: pupils made 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 39.5, against 47 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 30 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 230 families put Charlton School as their first choice and 607 named it as one of their preferences, for 234 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 23 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Charlton School are Ercall Wood Academy (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 45.9); Hadley Learning Community - Secondary Phase (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47); New Road Academy (2.9 miles, Attainment 8 35); and Thomas Telford School (3.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.8).

Charlton School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Charlton School is one of 13 schools run by Learning Community Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 238 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

12.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (68%), Asian (11%) and Mixed (7%).

The nearest railway station is Shropshire Rail Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Charlton School (adjacent), 100 metres away.

In 2024/25, Charlton School issued 147 suspensions, 11.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Charlton School are Wrekin View Primary School (0.3 miles), St Patrick's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), Dothill Primary School (0.4 miles) and Apley Wood Primary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.