Werneth School

About Werneth School

Werneth School in Stockport received an Inadequate rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in October 2023, a judgment that places it among the lowest-performing schools in the local authority. The school ranks 13th out of 15 secondary schools in Stockport on Progress 8, the key measure of how much academic progress pupils make between the end of primary school and their GCSEs. Werneth’s Progress 8 score of -0.45 means that, on average, pupils achieved nearly half a grade less per subject than their peers nationally with similar starting points. This is a significant gap compared with the Stockport local authority average Progress 8 score of +0.07. The school’s Attainment 8 score, which captures overall GCSE performance, sits at 39.5, and just 33.2 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths. Only 8.1 per cent entered and passed the English Baccalaureate at that higher threshold.

The Ofsted report highlights persistent weaknesses. Behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management, were both rated Inadequate, while quality of education and personal development were judged as Requires Improvement. This represents no overall improvement from the school’s previous inspection in January 2020, which also rated it Inadequate across the board. Parent View responses, collected between September 2024 and September 2025, show a divided community: 52 per cent of the 128 respondents would recommend the school, but 48 per cent would not. Only 28 per cent of parents strongly agreed or agreed that bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively, though 57 per cent said the question was not applicable. On behaviour, 46 per cent agreed the school ensures good behaviour, while 51 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed. The school’s EBacc entry rate is 28.1 per cent, and its EBacc average point score is 3.37.

Werneth is a mixed 11-16 secondary with no sixth form, and it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 273 applications for 245 places, with 140 first-preference offers made. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage: 37.3 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities are surprisingly broad for a school in this position, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a theatre, and music rooms. The school lists SEND provisions for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. However, only 47 per cent of parents agreed that SEND children receive the support they need, while 50 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed. For families considering Werneth, the data suggests a school with significant challenges around behaviour, leadership, and academic outcomes, but one that remains popular locally and offers a wide range of facilities and extracurricular clubs including DofE, Model UN, and Young Enterprise.

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