Thistley Hough Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Thistley Hough Academy on 6 areas: 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well at Thistley Hough Academy across almost all subjects."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders' strategic work to improve the curriculum and teaching is having a positive impact on the school, particularly at key stage 4."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school accurately identifies when pupils have additional needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders at all levels have an accurate and detailed understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school places a lot of emphasis on pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders understand the patterns and trends in pupils' attendance and behaviour well."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to improve teachers' expertise in checking pupils' understanding in key stage 3 so that pupils' knowledge gaps are more swiftly filled"; "Leaders should continue to improve pupils' punctuality so that lateness further reduces"; "Leaders should continue to improve pupils' behaviour so that fewer are suspended or miss lessons due to internal exclusion".

In its own words: "At Thistley Hough, we pride ourselves on delivering an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum, enabling every student to be successful, respectful, responsible, resilient and skilled. Our students are equipped to make a positive contribution to their city and beyond."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is with pride and honour that I introduce myself as the Principal at such a fantastic school within this exceptional community. Every child will be provided with an educational experience that allows them to succeed at Thistley Hough Academy. This is underpinned by the following fundamental principles; Your child will be known."

In 2026, pupils at Thistley Hough Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.4 in Stoke-on-Trent and 47 across England.

46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 36% in Stoke-on-Trent and 47% in England.

That is down from 47.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.23: pupils made above 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 38.6, against 47 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 211 families put Thistley Hough Academy as their first choice and 390 named it as one of their preferences, for 208 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 37 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Thistley Hough Academy are St Joseph's College (0.8 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 63.6); Clayton Hall Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 46.8); St Peter's CofE Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 34.2); and St John Fisher Catholic College (1.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.7).

Thistley Hough Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Thistley Hough Academy 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 209 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

38.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 34.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%), Asian (24%) and Black (10%).

In 2026, 179 pupils (16.2%) received SEN support and 21 (1.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thistley Hough (adjacent), 90 metres away.

In 2024/25, Thistley Hough Academy issued 660 suspensions, 60.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 11 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Thistley Hough Academy are St John's CofE (A) Primary School (0.3 miles), The Willows Primary School (0.4 miles), Oakhill Primary School (0.8 miles) and St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.