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Academy converter · Staffordshire

The de Ferrers Academy

  • 11–18Ages
  • 2,403Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • Sixth formAges 16–18
  • 136414URN

St Mary's Drive, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 0LL · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Oct 2023 Previous framework

Good
  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management
What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
1.3per place
0.6 below Staffordshire median (1.8)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Staffordshire

512 applications for 398 places · 48th of 48 in Staffordshire
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
46.7of 90
15th of 56 in Staffordshire
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Overall effectiveness: Good · 24 October 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
AreaOutstandingGoodRequires improvementInadequate
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth form provisionGood

Inspection history

  1. 24 October 2023
    Graded inspection: Good
  2. 5 May 2022
    Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
1.3applications per place, Year 7
0.6 below Staffordshire median (1.8) 0.9 below England median (2.2)

512 applications · 398 places offered · 375 named it first

  1. 2026 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.8
  2. 2025 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.9
  3. 2024 1.2; Staffordshire median median 1.7
  4. 2023 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.7
  5. 2022 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.8
  6. 2021 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.7
  7. 2020 1.4; Staffordshire median median 1.8
  8. 2019 1.5; Staffordshire median median 1.7
  9. 2018 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.8
  10. 2017 1.6; Staffordshire median median 1.7
  11. 2016 1.5; Staffordshire median median 1.8
  12. 2015 1.4; Staffordshire median median 1.6
  13. 2014 1.2; Staffordshire median median 1.7
More applications per place than the Staffordshire median in 0 of 13 years.
  • This school
  • Staffordshire median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20263985121.33750.94
Sep 20254015071.33770.94
Sep 20243994941.23800.95
Sep 20233965171.33890.98
Sep 20224075221.33930.97
Sep 20213975201.33540.89
Sep 20204105561.43930.96
Sep 20194025951.54151.03
Sep 20184085451.34181.02
Sep 20173495411.64141.19
Sep 20163455191.54021.17
Sep 20153474851.43961.14
Sep 20143314091.23190.96

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

394 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)46.715th of 56 in Staffordshire
Grade 5 or above in English and maths48%13th of 56 in Staffordshire
Grade 4 or above in English and maths70%
  • This school
  • Staffordshire median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)+0.05
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)39446.748%70%–
2024/2540146.548%67%–
2023/2439945.446%64%+0.05
2022/2337944.847%63%−0.06

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
136414 · 860/4176
Trust
Affinity Learning Partnership
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Capacity
2,564 pupils · 2,403 on roll
Free school meals
28.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened
1 January 2011
Replaced
De Ferrers Specialist Technology College (URN 124442)
Address
St Mary's Drive, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 0LL
Local authority
Staffordshire · East Staffordshire

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources