Best Secondary Schools in Staffordshire 2026

Ranked by Ofsted rating, exam results, attendance, and class sizes. 54 schools across Staffordshire. Updated with 2025–26 data.

How many schools?
54
Open secondary schools in Staffordshire
Closed schools excluded
Inspection picture
45 Good or better
of 54 with a historic Ofsted grade
Historic single-word grades · pre-Nov-2025
How is this list ordered?
SNM score
Painsley Catholic College currently leads
Methodology

Staffordshire has 54 open secondary schools. Of the 54 with a published Ofsted inspection, 2 (4%) held a historic grade of Outstanding and 83% held Good or Outstanding — these are the last single-word grades from before Ofsted retired them on 10 November 2025 (how we treat Ofsted data). On our composite Schools Near Me score, Painsley Catholic College currently leads the local rankings. Closed schools are excluded from every list on this page.

Use the ranked table below to compare schools side by side, then open any school for the full picture. Application deadlines in Staffordshire follow the national calendar: 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively.

All schools Primary Secondary
Rank School Ofsted (historic) SNM Score Profile
1. Painsley Catholic College
Secondary
 Good 82 View school
2. John Taylor High School
Secondary
 Outstanding 79 View school
3. The Friary School
Secondary
 Good 73 View school
4. Blessed William Howard Catholic School
Secondary
 Good 69 View school
5. Walton High School
Secondary
 Good 67 View school
6. King Edward VI School
Secondary
 Good 66 View school
7. Endon High School
Secondary
 Good 66 View school
8. Kinver High School and Sixth Form
Secondary
 Good 63 View school
9. Madeley High School
Secondary
 Good 61 View school
10. Codsall Community High School
Secondary
 Good 60 View school
11. Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Secondary
 Outstanding 59 View school
12. Moorside High School
Secondary
 Good 57 View school
13. Erasmus Darwin Academy
Secondary
 Good 57 View school
14. Landau Forte Academy, QEMS
Secondary
 Good 56 View school
15. Alleyne's Academy
Secondary
 Good 56 View school
16. John Taylor Free School
Secondary
 Good 55 View school
17. Landau Forte Academy, Amington
Secondary
 Good 54 View school
18. Sir Graham Balfour High School
Secondary
 Good 53 View school
19. Cardinal Griffin Catholic College
Secondary
 Good 51 View school
20. The Weston Road Academy
Secondary
 Good 51 View school

Ranked by the Schools Near Me score. Ofsted grades shown are each school's last single-word grade from before 10 November 2025, when Ofsted retired single-word overall judgements — they are historic and not comparable to the new report cards. How we use Ofsted data. Closed schools are excluded.

Related lists for Staffordshire

Best primary schools in StaffordshireTop-ranked Reception–Year 6 Best secondary schools in StaffordshireTop-ranked Year 7 onwards All schools in StaffordshirePrimary & secondary combined Primary schools in StaffordshireReception–Year 6 only How the Schools Near Me score worksOur ranking methodology, explained

Nearby areas

Schools in Stoke-on-TrentCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in WalsallCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in WolverhamptonCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in SandwellCompare neighbouring authority

See full data for any school in Staffordshire

Catchment distances, exam trends, SEN data, attendance, and more — all in one place.

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Frequently asked questions

How many secondary schools are there in Staffordshire?
There are 54 open secondary schools in Staffordshire (closed schools are excluded). 2 of the 54 with a published inspection held a historic Ofsted grade of Outstanding (the last single-word grade before single-word grades were retired on 10 November 2025).
What are the best-rated secondary schools in Staffordshire?
On our Schools Near Me score, the top-ranked secondary school in Staffordshire is Painsley Catholic College. The full ranked table above lists the top 20 schools with their score and last historic Ofsted grade. We never list closed schools.
How is the Schools Near Me score calculated?
The Schools Near Me score is a 0–100 composite combining the school's last historic Ofsted grade, published exam and assessment results, attendance and pupil–teacher ratio. It is not an Ofsted rating. Full methodology: https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#score
Are Ofsted single-word grades still current in Staffordshire?
No. Ofsted retired single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) on 10 November 2025 and replaced them with report cards. Any single-word grade shown on this page is the school's last historic grade from before that date and is not comparable to the new report cards. See https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#ofsted
How do I apply for a school place in Staffordshire?
Primary and secondary applications in Staffordshire are coordinated by the local authority on the national timetable: apply by 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and by 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively. Check the Staffordshire council website for local forms and any in-year rules.

Data sourced from Ofsted, Department for Education, and ISI. School rankings reflect the Schools Near Me composite score combining Ofsted ratings, exam results, attendance, and pupil-teacher ratios. Last updated April 2026.