Free schools · Staffordshire

John Taylor Free School

11–19Ages
1,315Pupils
SecondaryPhase
Sixth formAges 16–18
145889URN

Branston Road, Tatenhill, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 9SA · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Feb 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

0.5 above Staffordshire median (1.8)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Staffordshire

426 applications for 181 places · 6th of 48 in Staffordshire

Every year since 2019

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

44.1of 90

Staffordshire 43.5 England 46.0

24th of 56 in Staffordshire

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 14 February 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Good	Requires improvement
Quality of education	Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Requires improvement
Personal development	Good
Leadership and management	Good

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

2.4applications per place, Year 7

0.5 above Staffordshire median (1.8) close to England median (2.2)

426 applications · 181 places offered · 173 named it first

2026 2.4; Staffordshire median median 1.8
2025 2.3; Staffordshire median median 1.9
2024 2.4; Staffordshire median median 1.7
2023 2.5; Staffordshire median median 1.7
2022 2.8; Staffordshire median median 1.8
2021 2.9; Staffordshire median median 1.7
2020 3.0; Staffordshire median median 1.8
2019 3.4; Staffordshire median median 1.7

More applications per place than the Staffordshire median in 8 of 8 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.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	181	426	2.4	173	0.96
Sep 2025	220	498	2.3	201	0.91
Sep 2024	217	530	2.4	191	0.88
Sep 2023	234	582	2.5	235	1.00
Sep 2022	235	648	2.8	282	1.20
Sep 2021	232	679	2.9	278	1.20
Sep 2020	235	693	3.0	306	1.30
Sep 2019	177	597	3.4	245	1.38

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

213 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)44.124th of 56 in Staffordshire

Staffordshire 43.5 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths38%31st of 56 in Staffordshire

Staffordshire 38% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths65%

Staffordshire 60% England 66%

This school
Staffordshire median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.30

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	213	44.1	38%	65%	–
2024/25	225	46.4	48%	67%	–
2023/24	223	43.8	41%	64%	−0.30
2022/23	197	49.5	52%	78%	+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

John Taylor Free SchoolThis school
This school

Good2023

2.4applications per place 44.1Attainment 8
Paget High School
2.1 km · Staffordshire

Good2022

1.6applications per place 38.4Attainment 8
John Taylor High School
3.8 km · Staffordshire

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.9applications per place 53.6Attainment 8
Paulet High School
4.8 km · Staffordshire

Good2024

1.7applications per place 43.7Attainment 8
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
4.9 km · Staffordshire

Outstanding2023

2.9applications per place 47.0Attainment 8
Abbot Beyne School
5.1 km · Staffordshire

Remains Good2022

1.8applications per place 47.4Attainment 8
The de Ferrers Academy
5.2 km · Staffordshire

Good2023

1.3applications per place 46.7Attainment 8
Mercia Academy
7.3 km · Derbyshire

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.6applications per place 38.7Attainment 8
The Pingle Academy
8.4 km · Derbyshire

2026

1.7applications per place 43.4Attainment 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: Free schools
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 145889 · 860/4017
Trust: John Taylor MAT
Capacity: 1,550 pupils · 1,315 on roll
Free school meals: 24.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 3 September 2018
Address: Branston Road, Tatenhill, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 9SA
Local authority: Staffordshire · East Staffordshire

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