Birches Head Academy
Academy converter · 925 pupils
69% stayed in education · Attainment 8 31.3
Academy converter
St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,143of 1,200 places
- Free school meals
- 36.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 206
- Ofsted
- Report card, 27 January 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Margaret Ward Catholic School and Arts College (URN 124460, until 1 September 2013).
What the data says
Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy in 2023, 29% stayed on in St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy’s own sixth form (Stoke-on-Trent average 11%), 40% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 54 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 56% went to university (Stoke-on-Trent 34%, England 37%), and 21% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 42% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 43.0 against 46.1 across England and 39.8 in Stoke-on-Trent, with 40% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Stoke-on-Trent and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 204 | 2,796 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 87% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 79% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 29% | 11% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 17% | 17% | 13% |
| — further education college | 40% | 49% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 10% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 54 | 1,993 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 91% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 56% | 34% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 21% | 13% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 11% | 7% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.0 | 39.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 40% | 33% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 64% | 54% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 70% | 28% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.94 | 3.38 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 37% | 38% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.1 | 31.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.1 | 44.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 34% | 24% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Studies | 206 | 100% | 31% | 22% | 32% | 66% |
| Mathematics | 206 | 100% | 88% | 17% | 22% | 69% |
| English Literature | 206 | 100% | 86% | 9% | 21% | 61% |
| English Language | 206 | 100% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 67% |
| Combined Science | 163 | 79% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 45% |
| Geography | 111 | 54% | 41% | 9% | 25% | 45% |
| History | 93 | 45% | 41% | 12% | 26% | 58% |
| German | 87 | 42% | 5% | 9% | 33% | 37% |
| French | 56 | 27% | 18% | 16% | 29% | 46% |
| Physics | 43 | 21% | 23% | 44% | 46% | 98% |
| Biology | 42 | 20% | 23% | 36% | 45% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 42 | 20% | 23% | 29% | 47% | 100% |
| Fine Art | 38 | 18% | 9% | 16% | 28% | 79% |
| Design and Technology | 29 | 14% | 11% | 7% | 23% | 59% |
| Physical Education | 17 | 8% | 11% | 0% | 24% | 35% |
| Computer Science | 16 | 8% | 13% | 25% | 30% | 50% |
| Drama | 9 | 4% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 67% |
| Music | 7 | 3% | 5% | 14% | 33% | 71% |
| Polish | 4 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 57 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 29 | 71% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 15 | 37% | — |
| Sports Studies | 8 | 20% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 104 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 41 | 670 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 27.91 | 33.28 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 14% | 14% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 12 | 29% | 20% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 27% | 31% |
| Sociology | 10 | 24% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 10 | 24% | 17% |
| Psychology | 10 | 24% | 23% |
| History | 8 | 20% | 13% |
| Fine Art | 6 | 15% | 3% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Classical Civilisation | — | — | 1% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 13 | 32% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 8 | 20% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 15% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent
Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent
Academy sponsor led · 1,300 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.7
Discovery Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,435 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.4
Haywood Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,080 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.1
Ormiston Horizon Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,029 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.3
Ormiston Meridian Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,015 pupils
73% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.2
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.