Biddulph High School

Biddulph High School is a smaller-than-average secondary school in the Potteries Educational Trust, with a new head of school in post since September 2025. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils generally feel safe and happy. Inspectors found inclusion and post-16 provision at the expected standard, with clear support systems for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, and a sixth form where teaching is more consistent, achievement is close to national averages, and careers guidance is effective. However, five areas were judged to need attention. Achievement remains inconsistent across subjects: although outcomes have improved since 2024, previously high- and middle-attaining pupils make insufficient progress and achieve below national averages, and current pupils show uneven recall and, at times, incomplete or poor-quality work. Teaching quality varies, assessment is not consistently used to check understanding or adapt lessons, and behaviour expectations are not yet embedded, with poor behaviour outside lessons sometimes disrupting learning. Attendance is improving and close to national averages, but remains a priority, and suspensions are above average for some groups. Leadership is ambitious and has made early improvements, but some actions have not yet had the intended impact, and leaders' self-evaluation has sometimes been too positive. Parental engagement is a particular weakness, with many parents holding a negative view of the school. The recently revised personal development programme meets statutory requirements and careers work is strong, but its inconsistent delivery leaves some pupils with a superficial understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics, and some pupils do not take full advantage of wider opportunities.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met through an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• Leaders have clear systems for identifying and supporting disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Post-16 provision is a relative strength, with a curriculum matched to students' needs and more consistent teaching.
• Sixth-form achievement is close to national averages and students typically make progress from their starting points.
• Careers guidance is effective, including the 'My Futures' programme and work experience with local employers.
• Attendance is improving and close to the national average, with persistent absence also improving.
• Pupils are happy, value positive relationships, feel safe, and say bullying is usually dealt with effectively.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious and is designed to deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding.
• Leaders have introduced reading, writing and mathematics programmes that are helping pupils to progress.
• Teachers usually adapt learning for pupils with barriers, including those with SEND, so they can access the curriculum.
• Staff are generally positive about the direction of the school and feel supported with workload and wellbeing.
• Governors and trust leaders work well together and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Pupils benefit from a range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities, with efforts to remove barriers to participation.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement is inconsistent across subjects and does not match national averages overall.
• Previously high- and middle-attaining pupils make insufficient progress from their starting points.
• Teaching quality is variable, and assessment is not consistently used to check understanding or adapt teaching.
• Some pupils cannot complete tasks because of gaps in knowledge, and their work is often incomplete or poor quality.
• Pupils' recall of learning across the curriculum is uneven.
• Behaviour expectations are not embedded across the school and are not consistently implemented by all staff.
• Poor behaviour outside classrooms sometimes disrupts learning in lessons.
• Suspensions remain above average for some groups of pupils.
• The personal development programme is new and inconsistently delivered, leaving some pupils with superficial understanding.
• Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values and laws protecting differences is not secure enough.
• Parental engagement is weak, with many parents holding a negative view of the school.
• Leaders' evaluation of the school's work has sometimes been too positive, and actions have not always secured swift improvement.
• Some pupils do not engage with wider opportunities as fully as they could.

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 Biddulph High School attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.5% 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, 5.6% of pupils at Biddulph High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were 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 Biddulph High School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Biddulph High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Biddulph High School received £7,957 and spent £7,974 for each of its 771 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £408,000 (-£530 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Potteries Educational Trust, income was £7,115 and spending £7,012 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 Stoke-On-Trent · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Biddulph High School is part of Potteries Educational Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Werrington Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Moorside High School Stoke-On-Trent
• City of Stoke-On-Trent Sixth Form College Stoke-On-Trent

What is Biddulph High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Biddulph High School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Biddulph High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Biddulph High School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Biddulph High School have?

Biddulph High School has 746 pupils on roll.

What age range does Biddulph High School cover?

Biddulph High School for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Where is Biddulph High School?

Biddulph High School is at Conway Road, Knypersley, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST8 7AR.