Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy

About Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy

Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy sits in Stoke-on-Trent, a local authority where only one of 17 secondary schools holds an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The academy itself is rated Good, a grade it has maintained since at least 2013, and was confirmed as still Good after an ungraded inspection in 2023. In the local Progress 8 rankings, it places 10th out of 13 schools, putting it behind the top three performers in the area: Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent, Thistley Hough Academy, and Trentham Academy. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is St Joseph's College, about 2.9 km away. With 1,190 pupils on a capacity of 1,080, the school is clearly popular, and it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 510 applications for 231 places, with 222 first-preference offers made from 244 first-preference applications.

Academically, the school's Progress 8 score of -0.65 is below the local authority average of -0.47 and is banded as 'Well below average' nationally. This means pupils here make less progress than similar students across the country. The Attainment 8 score sits at 40.9, and 60.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though that drops to 39.5% at grade 5 or above. Entry to the English Baccalaureate is relatively low at 30.3%, and only 15.4% achieved it at grade 4 or above. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. In its most recent graded inspection in 2017, Ofsted rated leadership and management as Good, and the sixth-form provision (run in partnership) was also Good. The school's capacity is 1,080, but it currently holds 1,190 pupils, suggesting it is operating above its intended size.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, an ICT suite, music rooms, a library, and a chapel, plus outdoor spaces like playing fields, an astro turf, and tennis courts. Sports provision is varied, with tennis, martial arts, rowing, netball, badminton, athletics, swimming, cricket, and rugby all on offer. There are also numerous clubs such as coding, science club, eco club, choir, drama, and book club. For SEND, the school supports pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 37.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged community. It will suit families who value a Good-rated local school with strong pastoral and SEND support, but who are aware that academic progress is below the local average.

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