Draycott Moor College, Stoke-on-Trent
Draycott Moor College is a special school for pupils aged 10 to 18 in Stoke-on-Trent. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Draycott Moor College in detail
Draycott Moor College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Arise Academy is an independent specialist day school providing high-quality education for boys and girls. Based in West Croydon, the school meets the diverse needs of pupils aged aged 11-19 with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Draycott Moor College are Sycamore Meadow Outdoor Learning Centre (1.1 miles); Portland School (1.5 miles); Elm House School (2.7 miles, Good); and Rowan House School (2.9 miles, Good).
Sycamore Meadow Outdoor Learning CentrePortland SchoolElm House SchoolRowan House School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Draycott Moor College has an education, health and care plan (43 of 43 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blythe Bridge Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 26 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Draycott Moor College excels at supporting vulnerable pupils who have struggled in other settings. Staff genuinely understand each child's needs and ambitions, creating a calm, welcoming environment where pupils feel valued and motivated to learn. The school is particularly strong in teaching reading and mathematics, with pupils showing good progress and developing confidence in their abilities.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional pastoral care and understanding of individual pupil needs - pupils feel known and supported
- Effective behaviour management with significant reduction in poor behaviour incidents
- Highly effective phonics and reading support programme helping pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Well-designed curriculum tailored to pupils' specific needs with increasing GCSE and qualification options
- Strong staff training and collaborative school culture focused on continuous improvement
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent approaches to teaching letter formation and handwriting skills, affecting accuracy and legibility of written work across the curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Draycott Moor College is a small special school rated Good overall that provides education for pupils with SEND and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is underpinned by strong values of compassion, inspiration, dependability and collaboration, creating a caring environment where pupils thrive.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Draycott Moor College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
100%
Full
43 pupils
43 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Stoke-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stoke-on-Trent
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
43
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Draycott Moor College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
43
Total Pupils
35
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Draycott Moor College
What are GCSE results like at Draycott Moor College?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Draycott Moor College can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Draycott Moor College's Ofsted rating?
Draycott Moor College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025.
Does Draycott Moor College meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2025, Draycott Moor College met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Draycott Moor College?
Draycott Moor College has around 43 pupils on roll.
Does Draycott Moor College have specialist SEN provision?
Draycott Moor College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Draycott Moor College?
Draycott Moor College is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Draycott Moor College?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Draycott Moor College?
Draycott Moor College is at Draycott Old Road, Draycott-in-the-Moors, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST11 9AH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)