Coppice Academy, Newcastle
Coppice Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Newcastle, part of The Shaw Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Coppice Academy in detail
Coppice Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Coppice Academy is a welcoming, warm academy which empowers all students to recognise their potential and supports them through a personalised, interesting and achievable curriculum pathway, experiencing innovative, quality teaching and learning. All students make excellent progression from their individual starting points."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Coppice Academy are Blackfriars Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Lyme Brook Independent School (0.9 miles, Good, selective); The Avenue (1.5 miles); and Merryfields School (1.6 miles, Good).
Blackfriars AcademyLyme Brook Independent SchoolThe AvenueMerryfields School
The trust
Coppice Academy is one of 31 schools run by The Shaw Education Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Coppice Academy (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college.
Who goes there
47.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Coppice Academy has an education, health and care plan (106 of 106 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dellbrook Court (adjacent), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Coppice Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 417 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Coppice Academy issued 12 suspensions, 10.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Coppice Academy excels at making every pupil feel valued and happy while providing specialist teaching tailored to individual needs. The school combines caring relationships with ambitious, high-quality learning across all subjects, ensuring pupils develop confidence, resilience and real skills for independent living. Parents consistently praise how the school helps their children flourish and grow.
Key Strengths
- Staff build strong relationships with pupils, treating them as valued individuals and providing quick, caring support when pupils face emotional challenges
- The school has a demanding, well-sequenced curriculum across all subjects with regular opportunities for pupils to practice and remember new knowledge
- Effective identification and intervention for pupils who cannot read, with tailored support programmes helping them develop fluency and comprehension skills
- Independent living and work skills sessions help pupils understand job opportunities and prepare for life after school
- Strong partnerships with parents, families, previous schools and external services to overcome individual barriers to learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Basketball, football, virtual and physical construction, choir, sketchbooks, trips to National Memorial Arboretum
Coppice Academy is a special school where pupils with varying educational needs and disabilities are surrounded by care, hope and ambition, leaving as excited and confident learners. The school has received Outstanding grades across all areas of inspection.
At a Glance
47.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Coppice Academy
Meet the Tutor
18 Sep 2026
Post 16 Open Days
8 Sep 2025
Ofsted Report
4 Mar 2025
Attendance Matters
20 Sep 2024
From Coppice Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Coppice Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Coppice Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Coppice Academy is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
118%
Over capacity
106 pupils
90 places
16 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Newcastle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newcastle
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
106
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
106
Total Pupils
74
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
7.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,174
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.1%
Overall absence
24.3%
Persistent absence
111
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Coppice Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Coppice Academy
What are GCSE results like at Coppice Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Coppice Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 5.5. 9% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Coppice Academy's Ofsted rating?
Coppice Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Coppice Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Coppice Academy is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Coppice Academy?
Coppice Academy has around 106 pupils on roll. 47% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Coppice Academy?
7.1% of sessions were missed at Coppice Academy in 2024/25. 24.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Coppice Academy?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Coppice Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Coppice Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Coppice Academy?
Coppice Academy is at Abbots Way, Westlands, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 2EY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)