The Excel Academy

The Excel Academy is a larger-than-average secondary school in the Alpha Academies Trust, serving a relatively disadvantaged community. It has been judged as meeting expected standards in attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing, while achievement requires attention due to outcomes that have historically been below national averages. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils report feeling safe and well supported in an inclusive, calm environment.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture
• Pupils feel safe, enjoy attending and value the support they receive from staff
• Behaviour has improved substantially, with disruptions rare and positive relationships
• Attendance has improved from a low base and is now closer to national averages
• Inclusion is a clear strength, with effective early identification and tailored SEND support
• Leadership is well-regarded, with staff valuing professional support and an open-door culture
• Governance and trust support are increasingly rigorous in driving improvement
• Personal development includes a wide range of extracurricular and leadership opportunities
• Careers provision is effective and being enhanced to meet national benchmarks

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement at the end of key stage 4 is below national averages in attainment and progress
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes remain behind national averages, particularly in progress
• Teaching is not yet consistently effective in matching pupils' starting points or providing tailored practice
• Some pupils do not experience sufficient challenge in lessons to maximise their learning
• Pupils' work in books does not always reflect the quality needed for sustained progress
• Personal development knowledge varies, and not all pupils fully value the provision
• Attendance remains above national averages for overall and persistent absence

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 The Excel Academy attended 89.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.0% 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, 14.1% of pupils at The Excel Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 The Excel Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.3% 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, 17.5% of pupils at The Excel Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% 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 The Excel Academy received £7,827 and spent £7,760 for each of its 1,216 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £33,000 (£27 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Alpha Academies Trust, income was £7,964 and spending £7,970 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

The Excel Academy is part of Alpha Academies Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Holden Lane Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Sneyd Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Eaton Park Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Maple Court Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Discovery Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is The Excel Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Excel Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was The Excel Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Excel Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does The Excel Academy have?

The Excel Academy has 1,184 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Excel Academy cover?

The Excel Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Excel Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.7, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Excel Academy?

The Excel Academy is at Milton Road, Sneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 6LG.