Newcastle Academy

Newcastle Academy has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, moving from a previously graded 'requires improvement' to a 'good' overall effectiveness rating. The school is a part of the United Endeavour Trust, which plays a key role in its administration. The leadership team has established a positive and nurturing community where pupils flourish and demonstrate strong values of honour, positivity, and excellence. The school has a broad and balanced curriculum that caters effectively to all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Despite these strengths, the school is currently addressing challenges with attendance and reading support, which the leadership recognizes as areas for further development.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community among staff and pupils.
• High expectations for pupil behaviour and academic performance.
• Broad and balanced curriculum accessible to all pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available.
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Higher than expected pupil absenteeism affecting learning.
• Inadequate support systems for struggling readers, particularly for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

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 Newcastle Academy attended 87.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 34.7% 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, 16.6% of pupils at Newcastle Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Newcastle Academy had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.1% 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, 10.7% of pupils at Newcastle Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.1% 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 Newcastle Academy received £8,826 and spent £9,194 for each of its 422 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £227,000 (£538 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Windsor Academy Trust, income was £7,909 and spending £7,979 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 Under Lyme · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Newcastle Academy is part of Windsor Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Clayton Hall Academy Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• Sir Thomas Boughey Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Milton Primary Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Greenways Primary Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Cheslyn Hay Academy Walsall
• Great Wyrley Academy Walsall
• Rivers Primary Academy Walsall
• Goldsmith Primary Academy Harden
• Kingswinford Academy Kingswinford
• Windsor Olympus Academy Birmingham

What is Newcastle Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Newcastle Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Newcastle Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Newcastle Academy was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Newcastle Academy have?

Newcastle Academy has 441 pupils on roll.

What age range does Newcastle Academy cover?

Newcastle Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Newcastle Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 31.9, and 14% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Newcastle Academy?

Newcastle Academy is at Gallowstree Lane, The Westlands, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 2QS.