Wolgarston High School

Wolgarston High School is a smaller-than-average secondary school within the Penk Valley Academies Trust. It was inspected through a full section 5 inspection, and safeguarding requirements are met: pupils feel safe, bullying is rare, and there is an open culture in which concerns are identified and acted upon. The school's strongest work is in attendance and behaviour and in its sixth form. Pupils attend well above national averages, behave consistently well, and suspensions are low and falling. Sixth-form students achieve strongly, benefit from teachers' secure subject knowledge and a wide range of opportunities, and move on to sustained destinations at rates well above national averages. Most other areas are meeting expected standards. The curriculum is appropriate, teaching quality is accurately understood, inclusion work is thoughtful, and leadership and governance have a clear view of priorities. Pupils receive a well-developed personal development curriculum, with enrichment and targeted support for those who need it. However, achievement is less secure than it once was: overall outcomes have slipped from previously excellent levels, recent attainment is weak in a small number of subjects, and disadvantaged pupils do not always achieve as well as their peers, with a sharp recent drop in their English and maths grade 5 outcomes. Staffing turbulence in some subjects has weakened teaching, and support for pupils with barriers to learning is not consistently precise. Leaders are taking appropriate action, including professional development and intervention work, and the trust is supporting improvement.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils feeling safe.
• Attendance is above national averages and sustained over time, including for pupils with SEND.
• Leaders act quickly and effectively when attendance falls.
• Pupils behave very well and understand high expectations.
• Prejudicial behaviour is not tolerated, and bullying is rare.
• Suspension rates are low and decreasing.
• Post-16 provision is high-performing and prepares students very well for next steps.
• Sixth-form students achieve highly and benefit from strong teacher subject knowledge.
• Sixth-form students access a range of wider opportunities and sustain destinations well above national averages.
• Pupils typically develop important reading, writing and mathematical knowledge well.
• The school helps pupils who join with literacy and numeracy weaknesses to catch up.
• Pupils are supported to make suitable next steps, with sustained destinations above national averages.
• Leaders have an accurate view of teaching quality, and teachers' subject knowledge is excellent.
• Inclusion is led with passion, and pupils with additional needs typically get the support they need.
• Leaders review additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and change strategies that are not working.
• Pupils known to social care are supported well, with leaders showing determination and tenacity.
• Alternative provision is used effectively to help pupils reintegrate.
• Leadership and governance have a detailed and accurate understanding of strengths and improvement areas.
• Staff feel proud to work at the school and are supported with behaviour and workload.
• Professional development matches school priorities and is making most staff more effective.
• Parents largely value the school's positive impact on their children.
• The personal development curriculum is well developed, contextualised and enhanced by discussion and specialist speakers.
• Pupils learn about different beliefs and cultures and how to keep themselves safe online and offline.
• Pupils with particular personal development needs receive highly effective personalised support.
• A wide range of enrichment activities is offered to all pupils.
• Pupils have positive relationships, enjoy school and feel confident to speak to an adult about concerns.

Areas for Improvement

• Recent key stage 4 attainment has been weak in a small number of subjects.
• The school's previously excellent attainment and progress have not been maintained.
• Disadvantaged pupils do not always achieve as well as their peers in school.
• Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 outcomes fell sharply in 2024/25 and were well below national averages.
• Support for pupils who face barriers to learning is not as consistent as it could be.
• Work to support reading, writing and mathematical catch-up could be better organised and precisely matched to pupils' needs.
• Staffing turbulence in some subjects has led to weaker teaching.
• Leaders should develop interventions that more precisely support reading fluency and accuracy.
• Leaders should continue to monitor and limit the impact of change on staff workload and wellbeing.
• The school should continue to sharpen teachers' practice through professional learning so vulnerable pupils' progress improves.

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 Wolgarston High School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.1% 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, 6.2% of pupils at Wolgarston High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Wolgarston High School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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 Wolgarston High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 Wolgarston High School received £7,634 and spent £7,554 for each of its 836 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £98,000 (£118 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Penk Valley Academy Trust, income was £7,287 and spending £7,447 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.

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All schools in Stafford · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Wolgarston High School is part of Penk Valley Academy Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Princefield First School Stafford
• Penkridge Middle School Stafford
• Marshbrook First School Stafford
• The Rural Enterprise Academy Penkridge
• St Mary and St Chad CofE First School Stafford
• St John's CofE First School Stafford

What is Wolgarston High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wolgarston High School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Wolgarston High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wolgarston High School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Wolgarston High School have?

Wolgarston High School has 847 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wolgarston High School cover?

Wolgarston High School for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Where is Wolgarston High School?

Wolgarston High School is at Cannock Road, Penkridge, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST19 5RX.