Birches Head Academy
Academy converter · 925 pupils
69% stayed in education · Attainment 8 31.3
Academy converter
St Thomas More Catholic Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,085of 1,135 places
- Free school meals
- 37.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 195
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 5 October 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Thomas More Catholic College (URN 124465, until 1 November 2013).
What the data says
Of the 199 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Thomas More Catholic Academy in 2023, 27% stayed on in St Thomas More Catholic Academy’s own sixth form (Stoke-on-Trent average 11%), 37% went to a further education college and 5% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 56 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 66% went to university (Stoke-on-Trent 34%, England 37%), and 10% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 98% of the year group took it, against 31% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 43.4 against 46.1 across England and 39.8 in Stoke-on-Trent, with 36% 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 | 199 | 2,796 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 87% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 80% | 79% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 27% | 11% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 16% | 17% | 13% |
| — further education college | 37% | 49% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 10% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 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 | 56 | 1,993 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 66% | 34% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 10% | 13% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 7% | 7% |
| Employment | 14% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.4 | 39.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 36% | 33% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 64% | 54% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 29% | 28% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.68 | 3.38 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 39% | 38% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.9 | 31.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.6 | 44.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 46% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 192 | 98% | 89% | 14% | 20% | 67% |
| Mathematics | 192 | 98% | 88% | 17% | 22% | 68% |
| Religious Studies | 191 | 98% | 31% | 26% | 32% | 64% |
| English Literature | 190 | 97% | 86% | 15% | 21% | 74% |
| Combined Science | 189 | 97% | 65% | 12% | 9% | 56% |
| Geography | 111 | 57% | 41% | 5% | 25% | 45% |
| History | 67 | 34% | 41% | 21% | 26% | 60% |
| Business Studies | 63 | 32% | 18% | 5% | 20% | 51% |
| Design and Technology | 27 | 14% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 44% |
| Computer Science | 26 | 13% | 13% | 8% | 30% | 42% |
| French | 23 | 12% | 18% | 26% | 29% | 74% |
| Fine Art | 18 | 9% | 9% | 33% | 28% | 89% |
| Polish | 13 | 7% | 1% | 92% | 84% | 92% |
| Photography | 12 | 6% | 6% | 17% | 19% | 75% |
| Urdu | 7 | 4% | 1% | 0% | 42% | 29% |
| Citizenship Studies | 7 | 4% | 3% | 0% | 19% | 0% |
| Italian | 7 | 4% | 0% | 43% | 53% | 71% |
| German | 6 | 3% | 5% | 33% | 33% | 83% |
| Portuguese | 4 | 2% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Biology | 2 | 1% | 23% | — | 45% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Spanish | 1 | 1% | 19% | — | 27% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Art and Design | 1 | 1% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | 51 | 100% | — |
| Sports Studies | 49 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 23 | 61% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 21 | 55% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 18 | 47% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 13 | 34% | — |
| Additional Mathematics FSMQ | 2 | 5% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 1 | 3% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 105 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 38 | 670 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 28.57 | 33.28 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 6% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology | 14 | 37% | 13% |
| English Literature | 10 | 26% | 11% |
| Biology | 9 | 24% | 20% |
| Religious Studies | 8 | 21% | 4% |
| Business Studies | 8 | 21% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 8 | 21% | 17% |
| History | 8 | 21% | 13% |
| Psychology | 7 | 18% | 23% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 29 | 76% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 15 | 39% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 9 | 24% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 9 | 24% | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Multimedia | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
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.