St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

Ofsted's report card from its 27 January 2026 inspection grades St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, generally achieve well from their starting points and are prepared effectively for their next steps."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Behaviour and attendance continue to improve at the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders hold an accurate view of curriculum and teaching."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and champion an inclusive ethos across the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know the school well and are driven by a clear ethical vision."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's mission to provide pupils with a 'a broad range of choices and opportunities for the future' is evident."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders are aspirational and deeply committed to ensuring that students receive a high-quality sixth-form experience."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently identify and meet the precise needs of all pupils so that misconceptions are addressed swiftly"; "Leaders should ensure that assessment is used consistently and effectively across all subjects so that gaps in pupils knowledge are identified accurately"; "Leaders should ensure that recent actions to strengthen achievement in the sixth form are fully embedded and lead to consistently positive results for all post-16 students".

In its own words: "We are pleased to introduce our new mission statement to the community: St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy is a Lasallian community where we empower all to follow in the footsteps of St John Baptist de La Salle with faith that we are in the presence of God."

From the headteacher's welcome: "The Academy is in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, serves the Catholic community of northern Stoke-on-Trent and offers a holistic education in a Christian setting. Our aim is to provide children, from all abilities and backgrounds, with the best possible opportunities for success. We aspire for all students here to succeed through excellent teaching, uncompromising standards of behaviour and persistent care."

The school runs a breakfast club, from £3 per day.

In 2026, pupils at St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.4 in Stoke-on-Trent and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 36% in Stoke-on-Trent and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 43.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.44: 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 35.4, against 46.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 219 families put St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy as their first choice and 457 named it as one of their preferences, for 209 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 24 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy are Ormiston Horizon Academy (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 34.5); Haywood Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 35.4); Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.2); and The Excel Academy (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7).

St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy is one of 64 schools run by St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

62 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy (as of April 2026): 76% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 54% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (77%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (54%).

Of the 208 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 43% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 51 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 75% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 8% into work. 14% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

36% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 32.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (48%), Asian (26%) and Black (11%).

In 2026, 109 pupils (9.5%) received SEN support and 36 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

The nearest railway station is Platform 1, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.

18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Benson Street (adjacent), 220 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Margaret Ward 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, St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy issued 292 suspensions, 25.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy are Mill Hill Primary Academy (0.3 miles), St Wilfrid's Catholic Academy (0.7 miles), Whitfield Valley Primary Academy (0.7 miles) and Burnwood Primary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.