Werneth School

Werneth School is showing signs of improvement, especially in fostering a positive school culture and enhancing pupil behaviour since recent leadership changes. While there has been some progress in attendance and the implementation of a new curriculum, overall pupil achievement remains a significant concern, with examination results well below national averages. Some pupils, notably those with special educational needs, continue to struggle with consistent support, impacting their readiness for the next stages of their education.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, creating a safe environment for pupils.
• Leaders have established a more positive culture in the school.
• Pupils typically treat each other well, contributing to a respectful atmosphere.
• Teachers have secure knowledge of their subjects and are focused on improving teaching quality.
• Recent progress for disadvantaged pupils is noted, showing improvements in some groups.

Areas for Improvement

• Over the longer term, pupil achievement has been too low in national examinations.
• Pupils’ attendance rates remain too low, particularly for some groups.
• Quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is variable and underdeveloped.
• Implementation of personal development programmes is not effective for all 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 Werneth School attended 84.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 42.1% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Werneth School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Werneth School had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.3% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Werneth School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% 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 Werneth School received £9,005 and spent £8,809 for each of its 991 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £482,000 (-£486 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Education Learning Trust, income was £7,449 and spending £7,559 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 Stockport · Stockport local authority: places and applications

Werneth School is part of Education Learning Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Bredbury Green Primary School Stockport
• Meadowbank Primary School Cheadle
• The Kingsway School Cheadle
• Gatley Primary School Stockport

What is Werneth School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Werneth School is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Werneth School last inspected by Ofsted?

Werneth School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Werneth School have?

Werneth School has 925 pupils on roll.

What age range does Werneth School cover?

Werneth School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Werneth School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.7, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Werneth School?

Werneth School is at Harrytown, Romiley, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 3BX.