The Hart School, Rugeley

In its own words: "We focus on developing both the academic and personal potential of children and are well known for providing a welcoming and friendly environment for all. We are an 11 to 18 comprehensive school of approximately 1250 students including 150 in the Sixth Form. In June 2023 the school was rated 'Good' by Ofsted."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Our vision at the Hart School is "WE CAN, WE WILL, WE DO" and together we work to our core values of happy, ambitious, resilient and tolerant."

Coming up: an open evening on Monday 26 October 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at The Hart School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.

38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 46.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.06: pupils made about 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 37.1, against 46.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 129 families put The Hart School as their first choice and 254 named it as one of their preferences, for 159 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 secondary schools to The Hart School are Rugeley John Taylor (1.7 miles); Staffordshire University Academy (4.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33.3); Kingsmead School (4.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.9); and Cannock Chase High School (5.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.5).

The Hart School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

The Hart School is one of 17 schools run by Creative Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.1 in 2024/25.

Of the 208 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 61% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 69 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 32% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 38% into work.

4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The Hart School had 55 teachers in 2026, one for every 22 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Rugeley Town Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Hart School (adjacent), 50 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Hart School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 161 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Hart School issued 474 suspensions, 39 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 9 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Hart School are The John Bamford Primary School (0.4 miles), Etching Hill CofE Primary Academy (0.5 miles), Forest Hills Primary School (0.6 miles) and Churchfield CofE Primary Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.