North Road Academy, Stoke-on-trent
North Road Academy is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Stoke-on-trent. It has an Islam religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
North Road Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to North Road Academy are Alpha Learning Staffordshire (0.3 miles, Requires improvement); Spruce House School (0.9 miles); The Nest (1.4 miles, Good); and Kaleidoscope School (1.5 miles, Good).
Alpha Learning StaffordshireSpruce House SchoolThe NestKaleidoscope School
What parents say
60 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about North Road Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% 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) (100%); the weakest, that their child does well at the school (98%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 22 (19%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Platform 1, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Milburn Road (adjacent), 330 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood North Road Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 490 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Stoke-on-Trent (280), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 4 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
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 June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
North Road Academy demonstrates strong commitment to supporting pupils with SEND through well-trained staff, individualised learning pathways, and comprehensive planning for their needs. The school provides excellent facilities and pastoral care, with positive behaviour management adapted for SEND pupils and respectful relationships throughout. Leaders show expert knowledge of safeguarding and have thoughtfully designed all systems to meet the complex needs of vulnerable learners.
Key Strengths
- Well-trained staff with expertise in supporting pupils with SEND and understanding of their individual needs
- Broad and balanced curriculum with three learning pathways (sensory stars, rising stars, shining stars) tailored to individual pupils
- Strong safeguarding procedures and policies with comprehensive staff training
- Excellent physical facilities including classrooms, sensory room, outdoor play areas and medical room
- Detailed assessment processes that include EHC plans, educational psychology support and parent involvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective, with appropriate policies in place, detailed record-keeping, well-trained staff including a designated safeguarding lead, and training that accounts for the additional vulnerabilities of pupils with SEND.
Extracurricular Activities
Work experience placements, careers guidance, life skills programme, personal social and health education, relationships and sex education
North Road Academy is an Islamic independent school applying to become a special school for pupils with SEND, reducing its capacity from 230 to 90 pupils. The school is likely to meet independent school standards if this material change is approved.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
60 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with North Road Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 16 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Stoke-on-Trent is 12.5 (the median across 116 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
129%
Over capacity
116 pupils
90 places
26 pupils over capacity
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 Stoke-on-Trent council
Places available
3,140
Applications
3,223
Got 1st preference
88.5%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Stoke-on-Trent council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
North Road Academy 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
116
Total Pupils
70
Boys
46
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
North Road Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about North Road Academy
What are GCSE results like at North Road Academy?
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 North Road Academy can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is North Road Academy's Ofsted rating?
North Road Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2024, it was rated Good.
Does North Road Academy meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in November 2024, North Road Academy met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to North Road Academy?
North Road Academy has around 116 pupils on roll.
Does North Road Academy have specialist SEN provision?
North Road Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to North Road Academy?
North Road Academy 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 North Road Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 16 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Stoke-on-Trent is 12.5 (the median across 116 schools, same distance and years).
Where is North Road Academy?
North Road Academy is at North Road, Cobridge, Stoke-on-trent, Staffordshire, ST6 2BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)