The Burton Borough School

About The Burton Borough School

Parent feedback for The Burton Borough School is not available through the official Parent View survey, so it is difficult to gauge how current families rate their experience. However, one clear signal of demand is the school’s oversubscription ratio: with 1108 pupils on roll, the school is well above the average secondary size, suggesting it remains a popular choice locally despite its Ofsted rating. The school is a mixed, non-faith state secondary for ages 11 to 16, located in the Telford and Wrekin local authority area. Headteacher Caroline Bedford leads a large school that offers a broad range of facilities, including playing fields, science labs, a swimming pool, sports hall, art studios, tennis courts and a chapel. The school also runs an extensive programme of extracurricular clubs, from Young Enterprise and Model UN to coding, gardening and chess, which may appeal to families looking for a school with plenty of enrichment opportunities.

Academically, the school’s most recent data from the 2023/24 academic year shows a Progress 8 score of -0.59, which is well below the national average and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally. This is also significantly lower than the Telford and Wrekin local authority average Progress 8 of -0.26. Within the LA, the school ranks 7th out of 10 secondary schools, putting it in the 70th percentile locally. The Attainment 8 score is 40.7, and just 51.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 31.5% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 13.2%, and the EBacc average point score is 3.4. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Requires Improvement, a rating it has held across both its recent inspections. For context, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Newport Girls' High School Academy, just 0.8 km away, which may be a consideration for families prioritising academic outcomes.

The school’s facilities are a strong practical draw: it has a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts and playing fields, and offers sports including swimming, football, rugby, martial arts, gymnastics, tennis, rounders and rowing. The presence of a chapel on site is unusual for a non-faith school and may reflect the building’s history. With no sixth form, pupils must move on after Year 11, so families should plan for post-16 options. The school is oversubscribed, so admission is likely competitive within the local area. Given its Progress 8 score and Ofsted rating, this school may suit families who value a wide range of extracurricular activities and facilities over top-tier academic results, or those who live nearby and want a large, mixed secondary with a strong sports and club programme. Parents should check the latest admission criteria carefully, as demand appears high.

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