St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
95%
Capacity
1,139
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy is a popular choice among local families, with 439 applications for 209 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.1. Of those, 197 offers went to first-preference applicants out of 217 who listed the school as their top choice, suggesting strong local demand. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in September 2021, confirmed it remains Good, and its previous graded inspection in 2013 also rated overall effectiveness as Good. Leadership and management were judged Good in that graded inspection. While the school does not publish a parent-view survey result, the high application numbers and first-preference rate indicate that many families in Stoke-on-Trent actively seek a place here.
Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.44 is slightly below the national average but just above the Stoke-on-Trent local authority average of -0.47, placing it 6th out of 13 secondary schools in the area. Attainment 8 sits at 41.2, and 61.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 35.1% reached grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is high at 82.2%, but the EBacc average point score is 3.77. In the sixth form, the school’s value-added score is 0.06, rated as Average, with pupils achieving an average grade of C per entry and a best three A-level grade of C+. The proportion of A-level entries graded AAB or higher is 11.1%. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% for Progress 8, at percentile 79.9.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, astro turf, playing fields, and a chapel, plus dedicated music rooms and science labs. Sports provision is broad, with rowing, martial arts, rugby, and dance among the options, and clubs include Debate, Eco Club, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. SEND support covers specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 36.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It is a Roman Catholic secondary with a sixth form, and its oversubscribed status means families should prioritise it in their application. This school suits families who value a faith-based environment, strong extracurricular breadth, and a sixth form that performs in line with local averages.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Little Chell Lane, Stoke-on-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 6LZ |
| Headteacher | Dominic McKenna |
| Local Authority | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Number of Pupils | 1,139 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 36.5% |
| School Capacity | 1,139 / 1,200 (95% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Sept 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (29 Sept 2021): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 4 Mar 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.44)
2510th of 3,141
Nationally
279th of 371
In West Midlands
6th of 13
In Stoke-on-Trent
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
32.3
'22/23
29.7
'23/24
31.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2333%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 197 pupils).
- FE college35%
- School sixth form (stay)33%
- Sixth form college15%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship5%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2367%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 52 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
8%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
3%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)67%
- Employment13%
- Other education8%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Biology14
- Sociology14
- Chemistry10
- Psychology9
- Mathematics8
- English Literature7
- Geography7
- History6
- Government and Politics5
- Religious Studies4
- Art and Design (Fine Art)3
- Drama and Theatre Studies3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed209
439
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
217 families put this school as their 1st choice (49% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Breakfast club
07:30-08:40
Source: stmargaretward.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British49.9%
- Asian27.5%
- White (other)5.6%
- Mixed4.5%
- Black1.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Little Chell Lane, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 6LZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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