Staffordshire University Academy

About Staffordshire University Academy

Staffordshire University Academy is a secondary school in Cannock Chase that has seen a notable shift in parent sentiment and demand. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 265 applications for 147 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.8, with 126 first-preference offers made. This suggests that local families are increasingly choosing the school, despite its recent history. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023 rated it Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019. All five key areas inspected — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — were judged Good. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage; 42.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. With 673 pupils on roll against a capacity of 900, there is room for further growth, and the school is clearly attracting more interest than it can currently accommodate.

Academically, the school’s outcomes are below average when compared with other schools nationally and within Staffordshire. At Key Stage 4, the Progress 8 score was -0.74, placing the school in the bottom 50 nationally and ranking it 5th out of 5 schools in Cannock Chase. This is significantly below the local authority average Progress 8 of -0.18. The Attainment 8 score was 35.8, and just 41.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. Entry to the EBacc was low at 8.6%, with only 4.8% achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. At Key Stage 5, the picture is similarly challenging: the value-added score was -0.98, described as well below average, and the average points per entry were 15.14, equivalent to a D- grade. The best three A-levels averaged a D grade. These figures suggest the school is working hard to support pupils who arrive with lower prior attainment, but academic outcomes remain a concern for parents prioritising results.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, playing fields, and a sixth form centre, alongside clubs such as chess, orchestra, choir, debate, Model UN, film club, drama, gardening, and book club. Sports on offer include football, rugby, rowing, hockey, gymnastics, cricket, rounders, swimming, and athletics. For pupils with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. The school is non-denominational and has a mixed sixth form. Given its oversubscription and improving Ofsted rating, it may appeal to local families who value a supportive, inclusive environment and are comfortable with results that trail the local average. Parents focused on strong academic outcomes may want to compare with higher-performing peers in the area such as The Friary School.

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