Our Lady's Catholic Academy

Our Lady's Catholic Academy is demonstrating strong performance across various domains, with significant strengths in attendance, behavior, and inclusion. High expectations from leaders have led to attendance rates above national levels, and behaviors among pupils remain calm and respectful. The school creates an inclusive environment, effectively addressing the needs of disadvantaged and SEND pupils, ensuring they receive support tailored to their individual needs. The early years provision is particularly strong, setting a solid foundation for children's learning and development. Overall, the school's leadership fosters a positive atmosphere conducive to learning, and pupils report feeling safe and happy at school.

Strengths

• High attendance rates above national levels.
• Calm and respectful behavior across the school.
• Inclusive culture prioritizing the needs of all pupils.
• Effective early years provision supporting children's learning.
• Strong relationships with families enhancing student support.
• Well-structured curriculum that builds essential skills.

Areas for Improvement

• Opportunities for extended writing across the curriculum are limited.
• Phonics outcomes in Year 1 are below national levels.

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's Catholic Academy attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.4% 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's 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's Catholic Academy had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.4% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Our Lady's Catholic Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% 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's Catholic Academy received £8,075 and spent £7,652 for each of its 209 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £246,000 (£1,179 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's Catholic Academy is part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 64 schools. The nearest others:

• St Thomas More Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• St Gregory's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Teresa's Catholic (A) Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St George and St Martin's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Our Lady and St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School Newcastle
• St Peter's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School Newcastle

What is Our Lady's Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady's Catholic Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Our Lady's Catholic Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady's Catholic Academy was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Our Lady's Catholic Academy have?

Our Lady's Catholic Academy has 214 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady's Catholic Academy cover?

Our Lady's Catholic Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Our Lady's Catholic Academy?

Our Lady's Catholic Academy is at Watkin Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 4NP.