Clayton Hall Academy

About Clayton Hall Academy

Clayton Hall Academy is a mixed 11-16 secondary school in Newcastle-under-Lyme that is clearly in demand. With 780 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,000, the school is not yet full, but the admissions data tells a different story. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 316 applications for 171 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.85 applicants per place. Of those, 134 were first-preference applications, and all 134 first-preference families were offered a place. The school’s 18% free school meals rate is higher than the national average of around 23%, but sits slightly below the typical figure for Staffordshire, suggesting a broadly mixed intake. Under headteacher Catherine Reid, the school has a non-religious character and no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. The strong demand, combined with a capacity that could absorb more pupils, points to a school that is growing in reputation locally.

Academically, Clayton Hall Academy has made a notable turnaround. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024, the school was rated Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in September 2021, when it was rated Requires Improvement across the board. Exam results for 2023/24 show a Progress 8 score of exactly 0, meaning pupils achieve broadly the same progress as the national average. That places the school third out of ten schools in the Newcastle-under-Lyme local authority ranking, and in the top 50% nationally. Its Attainment 8 score of 44.4 is solid, and 54.5% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The school’s EBacc entry rate of 53.9% is above the national average, though the proportion achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above is 18.8%. Compared to the local authority average Progress 8 of -0.18, Clayton Hall is performing above the typical school in Staffordshire.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, and music rooms, alongside clubs such as Drama, Choir, Eco Club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Sports on offer include football, rugby, hockey, tennis, athletics, and rowing. For pupils with additional needs, the school has SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. There is no sixth form, so families will need to plan for post-16 options. The nearest outstanding-rated school is Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, 3.2 km away. Clayton Hall Academy suits families looking for a well-resourced, improving secondary with strong demand and a broad curriculum, particularly those who value a non-religious environment and a school that has demonstrably raised its game.

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