John Taylor High School

John Taylor High School is a larger-than-average 11–18 academy in the John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust. This was its first routine inspection since the pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014; it had previously been exempt after an outstanding judgement. Inspectors found an inclusive, ambitious school where high expectations are routinely realised, pupils achieve strongly, and safeguarding is effective. The headteacher took up the substantive role in September 2024 and there have been several senior leadership changes. Provision is exceptionally strong across the curriculum, personal development, leadership and the sixth form, with pupils—including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND—learning very well. Teaching is expert and well trained, reading and literacy support is excellent, and pupils with SEND are identified and supported quickly. Sixth-form students are highly positive role models and are very well prepared for next steps, including apprenticeships and employment. Personal development and careers education are exemplary, and staff feel well supported. The main area for improvement is behaviour and attitudes: most pupils behave well and the school is calm and orderly, but a small number do not consistently display the expected positive attitudes, which can cause disruption. Leaders should ensure those pupils are better supported to meet the school’s high behaviour expectations so behaviour is consistently strong across the school.

Strengths

• Ambitious, logically sequenced curriculum across subjects and the sixth form
• Exceptionally strong outcomes, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Subject-expert teachers with highly effective training and engaging tasks
• Teachers adapt work well to address gaps and move learning on
• Excellent early reading and literacy support helps pupils become fluent readers
• Highly effective SEND identification and targeted support
• Calm, orderly environment with warm and respectful relationships
• Exceptional sixth-form provision with strong outcomes and destinations
• Outstanding personal development and a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities
• Exemplary careers education prepares pupils well for next steps
• Leaders, governors and the trust have a forensic understanding of strengths and improvement needs
• Staff value support for wellbeing and workload and are proud to work at the school
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not consistently meet the school’s high behaviour expectations, causing occasional disruption
• Support for some pupils to demonstrate the expected positive attitudes is not always effective

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at John Taylor High School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 11.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.1% of pupils at John Taylor High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 John Taylor High School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.4% of pupils at John Taylor High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 John Taylor High School received £6,979 and spent £7,315 for each of its 1,499 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,624,000 (£1,084 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of John Taylor Mat, income was £7,398 and spending £7,462 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Burton-On-Trent · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

John Taylor High School is part of John Taylor Mat, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Thomas Russell Infants School Burton-On-Trent
• Walton On Trent CofE Primary and Nursery School Swadlincote
• John Taylor Free School Burton-On-Trent
• All Saints Church of England Primary and Nursery School Burton-On-Trent
• Rykneld Primary School Burton-On-Trent
• Branston Locks Primary and Nursery School Burton-On-Trent
• All Saints CofE (C) Primary School Burton-On-Trent
• Yoxall St Peter's CofE Primary School Burton-On-Trent
• Shobnall Primary & Nursery School Burton-On-Trent
• Fradley Park Primary and Nursery School Lichfield

What is John Taylor High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for John Taylor High School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was John Taylor High School last inspected by Ofsted?

John Taylor High School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does John Taylor High School have?

John Taylor High School has 1,523 pupils on roll.

What age range does John Taylor High School cover?

John Taylor High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are John Taylor High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 53.6, and 59% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is John Taylor High School?

John Taylor High School is at Dunstall Road, Barton-under-Needwood, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE13 8AZ.