Thistley Hough Academy

About Thistley Hough Academy

Thistley Hough Academy is a mixed 11-16 secondary in Stoke-on-Trent that is currently oversubscribed by a significant margin. For its 210 Year 7 places in the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 386 total applications, with 232 families listing it as their first preference. That first-preference figure alone exceeds the available places, and the school ultimately made 199 offers to first-preference applicants. The school's capacity is 1,050, but it currently holds 1,095 pupils, meaning it is operating above its official number. The pupil body reflects a higher-than-average level of disadvantage: 36.6% of students are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national secondary average of around 23%. This context matters because the school's academic results, which are strong, are achieved with an intake that is more economically diverse than many of its peers.

Academically, Thistley Hough is performing well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.23 is rated 'Above average' nationally and places it second out of 13 schools in the Stoke-on-Trent local authority. To put that in perspective, the LA average Progress 8 score is -0.47, so the school is adding nearly three-quarters of a grade more per subject than the typical local school. Attainment 8 sits at 45.1, and 60.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. The school's strongest Progress 8 scores are in maths (0.36) and English (0.33), with the EBacc element also positive at 0.14. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2017, the school was rated Good overall, with Good for leadership and management. A subsequent ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed that the school remains Good. This represents a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2015, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, art studios, a theatre, music rooms, an astro turf pitch, and playing fields. Sports provision includes football, basketball, dance, rowing, gymnastics, and martial arts, while clubs range from Eco Club and Coding to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and a newspaper group. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists nine categories of SEND provision, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. There is no sixth form, so pupils will need to move on at 16. Given its strong Progress 8 outcomes relative to the local area, its oversubscribed status, and its above-average FSM intake, this is a school that appears to be delivering solid academic progress for a diverse cohort. It is likely to suit families who want a non-selective state school with a proven track record of improvement and a genuinely comprehensive intake.

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