This schoolOther secondary schools in Staffordshire
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026Inspection history
- 9 October 2024Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
- 8 May 2014Graded inspection: Good · as Sir Graham Balfour High School, URN 124444
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 entry340 applications · 185 places offered · 186 named it first
- 2026 1.8; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2025 1.7; Staffordshire median median 1.9
- 2024 1.6; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2023 1.6; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2022 1.5; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2021 1.6; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2020 1.7; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2019 1.7; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2018 2.0; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2017 1.5; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2016 1.5; Staffordshire median median 1.8; as the previous school
- 2015 1.4; Staffordshire median median 1.6; as the previous school
- 2014 1.3; Staffordshire median median 1.7; as the previous school
- This school
- Staffordshire median
Dashed bars: as Sir Graham Balfour High School (URN 124444), the previous school.
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.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 185 | 340 | 1.8 | 186 | 1.01 |
| Sep 2025 | 194 | 335 | 1.7 | 212 | 1.09 |
| Sep 2024 | 205 | 327 | 1.6 | 224 | 1.09 |
| Sep 2023 | 195 | 315 | 1.6 | 206 | 1.06 |
| Sep 2022 | 199 | 292 | 1.5 | 205 | 1.03 |
| Sep 2021 | 170 | 263 | 1.6 | 161 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2020 | 178 | 303 | 1.7 | 197 | 1.11 |
| Sep 2019 | 197 | 337 | 1.7 | 228 | 1.16 |
| Sep 2018 | 178 | 348 | 2.0 | 227 | 1.28 |
| Sep 2017 | 185 | 282 | 1.5 | 184 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2016 * | 169 | 253 | 1.5 | 167 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2015 * | 177 | 255 | 1.4 | 171 | 0.97 |
| Sep 2014 * | 164 | 216 | 1.3 | 158 | 0.96 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 155 | 44.7 | 40% | 64% | – |
| 2024/25 | 173 | 45.0 | 38% | 57% | – |
| 2023/24 | 175 | 44.7 | 40% | 63% | −0.17 |
| 2022/23 | 166 | 51.2 | 54% | 74% | +0.28 |
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
- Sir Graham Balfour High SchoolThis schoolThis schoolStandards maintained20241.8applications per place 44.7Attainment 8
- 3.2 km · StaffordshireRemains Good · improving20242.2applications per place 55.1Attainment 8
- 3.6 km · StaffordshireGraded · no overall grade20252.0applications per place 39.9Attainment 8
- 3.7 km · StaffordshireRemains Good20232.1applications per place 42.1Attainment 8
- 4.8 km · StaffordshireRequires significant improvement 20261.8applications per place 35.3Attainment 8
- 6.0 km · StaffordshireStandards maintained20241.6applications per place 48.3Attainment 8
- 7.2 km · StaffordshireGraded · no overall grade2025
- 9.1 km · Staffordshire2026
- 9.2 km · StaffordshireStandards maintained202545.6Attainment 8
- 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
- 142983 · 860/4180
- Trust
- Insight Multi Academy Trust
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 1,042 pupils · 1,003 on roll
- Free school meals
- 22.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 September 2016
- Replaced
- Sir Graham Balfour High School (URN 124444)
- Address
- North Avenue, Stafford, ST16 1NR
- Local authority
- Staffordshire · Stafford
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources