Clayton Hall Academy

Clayton Hall Academy has made significant improvements since its last inspection, now achieving a good overall effectiveness rating. The school's ambitious curriculum, particularly with the English Baccalaureate at its core, has led to better learning outcomes for pupils. The supportive environment fosters both personal development and career preparation, earning positive feedback from pupils regarding their safety and happiness. The school provides a range of extracurricular opportunities, which are particularly appreciated by younger students, enhancing their overall educational experience.

Strengths

• The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, particularly around the English Baccalaureate.
• Pupils show overall improvement in outcomes and learning.
• Strong personal development curriculum addressing important topics.
• Effective management of behaviour leading to a calm school environment.
• Supportive strategies for pupils with SEND, leading to good achievement.
• Well-timed careers education support for informed decision-making.
• Positive extracurricular opportunities that foster student engagement.

Areas for Improvement

• Some inconsistencies in teachers checking pupils' understanding before new learning.
• Unclear knowledge sequencing in the modern foreign languages curriculum.
• Inappropriate behaviour sometimes unchallenged during unstructured times.

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 Clayton Hall 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, 7.4% of pupils at Clayton Hall Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Clayton Hall Academy had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.3% 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, 9.1% of pupils at Clayton Hall Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Clayton Hall Academy received £7,846 and spent £7,912 for each of its 783 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £422,000 (£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

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

• Newcastle 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 Clayton Hall Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Clayton Hall Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Clayton Hall Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Clayton Hall Academy was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Clayton Hall Academy have?

Clayton Hall Academy has 828 pupils on roll.

What age range does Clayton Hall Academy cover?

Clayton Hall Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Clayton Hall Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.8, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Clayton Hall Academy?

Clayton Hall Academy is at Clayton Lane, Clayton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 3DN.