School profile

Discovery Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 0GA

Requires improvement

Map showing Discovery Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#3,177 of 3,312

Worse than 95% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Discovery Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 16 Apr 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,435 of 1,500 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Jayne Schofield
TrustALPHA ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityStoke-on-Trent
Opened01 Sept 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136681.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolStoke-on-TrentEngland
Attainment 8 score33.539.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths39.8%52.8%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths22.1%33.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths4.5%7.3%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths33.9%48%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4289--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils1,435
Girls697
Boys738
Eligible for free school meals52%
First language not English10%
SEN support209
EHC plan51
Average class size25.3

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
80.8%
African
5.7%
Other White
3.3%
White and Asian
1.7%
White and Black African
1.6%
Other Asian
1.3%
Other ethnic group
1%
White and Black Caribbean
0.8%
Other mixed
0.8%
Pakistani
0.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolStoke-on-TrentEngland
Overall absence8.9%8.6%8%
Persistent absence29.8%25%21.6%
Severe absence3.8%3.9%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)221
Applications (Year 7)307
First preference applications (Year 7)208
First preference offers (Year 7)208
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places1,500
Pupils on roll1,440
Unfilled places4%

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16
Pupils per adult11.5
Teachers (FTE)89.89
Teaching assistants (FTE)14.97
Support staff (FTE)98.51
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2585.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2575.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate77.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions17.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination80.9%
Staying in education70.6%
Further education52.3%
Sixth form college16.4%
Not sustained13.7%
Apprenticeship7.3%
Employment3.1%
School sixth form1.9%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Discovery Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryMaple Court AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimarySandford Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryGladstone Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimarySt Maria Goretti Catholic AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryCo-op Academy Clarice CliffAcademy converter
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1.2 miPrimaryPark Hall AcademyAcademy converter
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1.3 miPrimaryWeston Infant AcademyAcademy converter
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1.4 miPrimaryEaton Park AcademyAcademy converter
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1.5 miPrimaryWerrington Primary SchoolAcademy converter
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1.5 miPrimaryWeston Junior AcademyAcademy converter
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Frequently asked questions about Discovery Academy

What is Discovery Academy's Ofsted rating?

Discovery Academy is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 16 Apr 2024.

How does Discovery Academy rank in England?

Discovery Academy ranks 3,177 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 95% of schools).

How many pupils attend Discovery Academy?

Discovery Academy has 1,435 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 1,500.

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.