The Orme Academy

The Orme Academy has shown considerable improvement since its last inspection and is now performing well in all areas. Under the leadership of Mark Boughey and the Shaw Education Trust, the school has fostered a supportive environment where pupils are focused on their learning and feel safe. The implementation of high expectations around learning and behavior is making a positive impact, although there is still work to be done to fully achieve these ambitious goals. While many aspects of the school are commendable, particularly in personal development and curriculum planning, attendance remains a significant hurdle for some pupils, affecting their overall progress and achievement.

Strengths

• The school has developed a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.
• Pupils demonstrate warm and respectful relationships with staff.
• There is a strong emphasis on personal development and well-being.
• Pupils engage actively in leadership roles and community support.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Staff feel well-supported and consulted about policy changes.

Areas for Improvement

• Some gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified and addressed effectively.
• A significant number of pupils miss school unnecessarily, impacting their learning.

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 Orme Academy attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.8% 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, 9.4% of pupils at The Orme 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 Orme Academy had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.9% 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, 17.1% of pupils at The Orme Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 4 pupils.

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 Orme Academy received £7,812 and spent £8,060 for each of its 771 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £407,000 (£528 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of The Shaw Education Trust, income was £11,108 and spending £10,954 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 Newcastle · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

The Orme Academy is part of The Shaw Education Trust, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• Blackfriars Academy Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• Coppice Academy Newcastle
• Waterside Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Seabridge Primary School Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• The Meadows Primary Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• The Meadows Primary School Crewe
• Kidsgrove Secondary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Kidsgrove Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Madeley High School Crewe
• Endon High School Stoke-On-Trent

What is The Orme Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Orme Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was The Orme Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Orme Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does The Orme Academy have?

The Orme Academy has 768 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Orme Academy cover?

The Orme Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Orme Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.7, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Orme Academy?

The Orme Academy is at Milehouse Lane, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 9JU.