The Fermain Academy, Macclesfield
The Fermain Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 13 to 16 in Macclesfield, part of Youth Engagement Schools Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2018)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Fermain Academy in detail
Getting a place at The Fermain Academy
Across Cheshire East, 93% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Cheshire East lodged 61 appeals against secondary school offers; 27 reached a hearing and 8 succeeded (29.6% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Fermain Academy are All Hallows Catholic College (0.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 50.7); The Macclesfield Academy (0.5 miles, Attainment 8 46.2); Tytherington School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 50.7); and The Fallibroome Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.7).
All Hallows Catholic CollegeThe Macclesfield AcademyTytherington SchoolThe Fallibroome Academy
The trust
The Fermain Academy is one of 7 schools run by Youth Engagement Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 13 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 39% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 15% to a further education college and 8% into work.
Who goes there
57.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 9.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (10%).
In 2026, 11 pupils (52.4%) received SEN support and 2 (9.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Macclesfield Rail Station, about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is All Hallows Catholic College (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Fermain 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 346 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire East (61), as is usual near a town centre.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Fermain Academy are Parkroyal Community School (0.2 miles), St John the Evangelist CofE Primary School Macclesfield (0.5 miles), Ivy Bank Primary School (0.7 miles) and Christ The King Catholic and Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Parkroyal Community SchoolSt John the Evangelist CofE Primary School MacclesfieldIvy Bank Primary SchoolChrist The King Catholic and Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils who attend this school have faced considerable difficulties in their prior education. Some have been permanently excluded from other schools. Many pupils have had adverse childhood experiences that have interrupted their learning. As a result, pupils often arrive with large gaps in their knowledge. Some pupils struggle to manage their own behaviour.
The school maintains the highest ambition for pupils. It helps pupils to develop self-belief and to aspire for their future lives. Pupils successfully re-engage with their education at this school. They gain the qualifications and skills that they need to move on in their lives.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a highly ambitious curriculum. Pupils study a broad range of academic subjects. In most subjects, the school has identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn and when it should be taught. However, due to a recent influx of new staff, there are times when this curriculum is not delivered as consistently well as the school intends. For instance, some staff lack expertise in using assessment strategies to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and adapting learning activities to address these gaps. Sometimes, staff move on before pupils' learning is secure. This hinders some pupils from building a solid foundation of knowledge in some subjects.
The school assesses additional needs that pupils may have effectively, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps staff to identify strategies to support each pupil. Pupils who join the school with gaps in their reading knowledge benefit from effective help. Most pupils develop into fluent readers during their time at school. The school has recently prioritised reading for pleasure. Many pupils are now reading more often than before.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2018 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
57.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Fermain Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Fermain Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Fermain Academy is in Cheshire East; for families living there:
- Cheshire East's school travel policy: Compulsory school age travel policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
4 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 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
23%
Available places
21 pupils
90 places
69 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Macclesfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Macclesfield
Across Cheshire East council
Places available
4,404
Applications
4,072
Got 1st preference
93.1%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Cheshire East council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
61.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
21
Total Pupils
13
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
1.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,646
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Fermain Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Fermain Academy
What is The Fermain Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Fermain Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Fermain Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Fermain Academy is oversubscribed, Cheshire East allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Fermain Academy?
The Fermain Academy has around 21 pupils on roll. 57% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to The Fermain Academy?
Apply through Cheshire East's coordinated admissions process, naming The Fermain 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 The Fermain Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 4 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Fermain Academy?
The Fermain Academy is at Beswick Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 8JF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)