Our Lady's Catholic Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

Ofsted's report card from its 6 January 2026 inspection grades Our Lady's Catholic Academy on 7 areas: 4 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have a relentless drive to ensure that regular attendance is sustained."

Early years - Strong standard. "Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery and Reception Years."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have created an immensely inclusive culture in which the needs of all pupils are prioritised, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or are known to children's social care."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Pupils' personal development and wellbeing sit at the heart of the school's work, ensuring they are well prepared for life beyond school."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils typically achieve well by the time they leave the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that pupils are given opportunities to apply their extended writing skills more broadly across the curriculum to enhance and deepen their learning. • Leaders should continue their drive to ensure that opportunities for pupils to recap prior learning are consistently used well across the curriculum to further connect pupils' knowledge and skills".

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at Our Lady's Catholic Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Stoke-on-Trent and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 77% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Our Lady's Catholic Academy as their first choice and 45 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 primary schools to Our Lady's Catholic Academy are Christ Church CofE Primary Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 50% reading, 60% maths); Co-op Academy Glebe (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 89% maths); Heron Cross Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 71% maths); and Stoke Minster CofE Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 68% reading, 55% maths).

Our Lady's Catholic Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Our Lady's Catholic Academy is one of 64 schools run by St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Our Lady's Catholic Academy (as of April 2026): 90% would recommend the school, 95% 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 pupils behave well (84%).

43.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 30.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (48%), Black (17%) and Asian (15%).

The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Travers Court (adjacent), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Our Lady's Catholic Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Our Lady's Catholic Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Our Lady's Catholic Academy are St Peter's CofE Academy (0.4 miles), St Thomas More Catholic Academy (1.1 miles), Thistley Hough Academy (1.5 miles) and St Joseph's College (1.5 miles).