Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy

Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy has shown remarkable improvement since its previous inspection, which rated it as 'Requires Improvement'. The school is now rated as 'Outstanding' in all areas, reflecting a strong commitment to high-quality education and personal development. Relationships within the school are built on strong values, where pupils feel safe, cared for, and inspired to achieve, thanks to a curriculum that effectively meets their needs, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school has also fostered strong connections with families and communities, contributing to an inclusive and supportive environment. The dedicated leadership team has played a crucial role in driving rapid progress at the school. With a keen focus on enhancing educational experiences, the leadership has implemented well-structured systems that encourage exemplary behavior and engagement in learning. Furthermore, initiatives to improve aspects like attendance demonstrate the school’s proactive approach to addressing challenges. Overall, the academy models excellence in education and aims to nurture well-rounded individuals ready for future opportunities.

Strengths

• Strong relationships among staff and pupils that foster a caring ethos
• Exceptional development of the curriculum ensuring deep knowledge retention
• Highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• A strong emphasis on reading with effective phonics teaching
• Impeccable pupil behavior and focus on learning
• Carefully planned personal development programs that include online safety and relationship building
• Wide range of extracurricular activities that enrich pupils' experiences
• Effective collaboration with families to support student attendance and success

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 Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.5% of pupils at Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy had 24.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 13.8% of pupils at Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy received £7,279 and spent £7,118 for each of its 220 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £110,000 (£499 per pupil).

Across all 56 schools of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,565 and spending £7,594 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 · Stoke-on-Trent local authority: places and applications

Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy is part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 64 schools. The nearest others:

• St George and St Martin's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Peter's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Marys Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Our Lady's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School Newcastle
• St Thomas More Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Wilfrid's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Gregory's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy have?

Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy has 239 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy cover?

Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy?

Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy is at Abbey Lane, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST2 8AU.