St Thomas More Catholic Academy
99%
Capacity
1,119
Pupils
2.4x
Demand
About St Thomas More Catholic Academy
St Thomas More Catholic Academy is a popular choice among Stoke-on-Trent families, with 474 applications for 198 Year 7 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.39. Of those, 156 offers went to first-preference applicants out of 162 who listed the school as their top choice, suggesting strong local demand. The school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, but the high application numbers relative to places indicate a solid reputation. Headteacher Mark Rayner leads this Roman Catholic secondary for 11 to 18 year olds, which has capacity for 1135 pupils and currently enrols 1119. Over a third of students (37.1%) are eligible for free school meals, reflecting the school's inclusive intake. The most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 graded the school as Good overall, with Good ratings for leadership and management, sixth-form provision, and behaviour and attitudes. This was an improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2015, and the ungraded inspection confirmed the school remains Good.
Academically, St Thomas More performs above the local authority average but below national benchmarks. Its Progress 8 score of -0.21 is better than the Stoke-on-Trent average of -0.47, placing it 4th out of 13 secondary schools in the local authority and in the top 36% nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 39.1, with 49.3% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 31.2% achieving grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 26.3%, with 10.7% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, 55 students took A-levels in 2023/24, achieving an average points per entry of 26.69 (equivalent to a C- grade). The value-added score is -0.42, which is rated as below average, and 8.3% of entries were graded AAB or higher. The school's progress banding for sixth form is also below average, so families considering post-16 options may want to compare outcomes carefully.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, music rooms, art studios, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include dance, badminton, football, swimming, rugby, and rowing, while clubs range from Book Club and Choir to Model UN, Coding, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes the school well-suited to families seeking a Catholic secondary with strong community ties, a broad extracurricular offer, and a track record of improvement. Its oversubscribed status means applying as a first preference is advisable, particularly for Catholic families, though the school's admissions policy details would clarify priority criteria.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Longton Hall Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 2NJ |
| Headteacher | Mark Rayner |
| Local Authority | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Number of Pupils | 1,119 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 37.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,119 / 1,135 (99% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Oct 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (5 Oct 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 8 Jun 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.21)
2026th of 3,141
Nationally
212th of 371
In West Midlands
4th 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
33.0
'22/23
27.1
'23/24
26.7
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
2022/2328%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 185 pupils).
- FE college40%
- School sixth form (stay)28%
- Sixth form college12%
- Not sustained10%
- Employment5%
- Apprenticeship3%
90% 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
2022/2373%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 62 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
10%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
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)73%
- Employment19%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Not sustained3%
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- Mathematics14
- Psychology14
- Sociology12
- Chemistry9
- Business Studies:Single8
- English Literature8
- Physics7
- Biology6
- Religious Studies5
- History4
- Mathematics (Further)3
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
14Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed198
474
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
162 families put this school as their 1st choice (34% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
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 British38.5%
- Asian27.8%
- Mixed11.1%
- White (other)7.4%
- Black1.6%
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.
75% 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.
9
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
8
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Thomas More 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
Longton Hall Road, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 2NJ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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