The Burton Borough School
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The Burton Borough School is a sponsored academy in Newport for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,077 pupils and room for 1,210. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 3 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2021.
Audley Avenue, Newport, TF10 7DS01952 951408burtonborough.lct.educationMrs Caroline Bedford headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 10 November 2021, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Requires improvement overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
214 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024† | 2023† | 2022† | 2019† | 2018† | Telford and Wrekin | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 214 | 235 | 211 | 222 | 208 | 181 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 39.7 | 40.7 | 45.3 | 46.9 | 44.6 | 46.6 | 45.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.59 | -0.38 | -0.54 | -0.43 | -0.03 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 30% | 32% | 39% | 42% | 41% | 44% | 42% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 54% | 52% | 64% | 72% | 65% | 70% | 60% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.39 | 3.40 | 3.85 | 3.98 | 3.81 | 4.02 | 4.08 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 45% | 13% | 17% | 16% | 33% | 37% | 43% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 28.2 | 30.4 | 34.8 | 33.9 | 41.1 | 39.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 43.2 | 43.0 | 47.9 | 49.5 | 45.1 | 48.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 23.2 | 24.1 | 31.2 | 24.9 | 23.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 58.6 | 57.5 | 60.4 | 53.6 | 58.4 | – | – |
† These results are for The Burton Borough School, the school this one replaced in April 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Business (14% here, 51% across England), Spanish (22% here, 54% across England), Computer Science (25% here, 56% across England), Biology (52% here, 82% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 203 | 8% | 36% | 62% | 53% | 2,699 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 203 | 17% | 51% | 70% | 54% | 1,676 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 200 | 10% | 43% | 67% | 58% | 2,564 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 144 | 1% | 8% | 32% | 36% | 3,014 of 3,084 |
| History | 129 | 9% | 35% | 48% | 52% | 2,563 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 80 | 16% | 46% | 75% | 58% | 1,998 of 2,818 |
| Business | 70 | 1% | 14% | 30% | 51% | 1,738 of 1,806 |
| Biology | 66 | 11% | 52% | 77% | 82% | 2,369 of 2,570 |
| Geography | 64 | 14% | 39% | 52% | 51% | 2,166 of 3,116 |
| Physics | 59 | 9% | 61% | 88% | 82% | 2,194 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 59 | 10% | 54% | 80% | 81% | 2,284 of 2,537 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 52 | 6% | 29% | 50% | 52% | 926 of 1,098 |
| Physical Education | 52 | 19% | 64% | 77% | 56% | 592 of 1,559 |
| Spanish | 49 | 2% | 22% | 47% | 54% | 1,816 of 1,941 |
| French | 47 | 6% | 36% | 51% | 60% | 1,703 of 1,974 |
| Design & Technology | 45 | 11% | 36% | 58% | 50% | 1,027 of 1,478 |
| Religious Studies | 22 | 46% | 77% | 91% | 60% | 397 of 1,825 |
| Music | 18 | 17% | 39% | 61% | 61% | – |
| Computer Science | 16 | 6% | 25% | 44% | 56% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 117 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (231 offers for 242 places).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 242 | 183 | 375 | 231 | – all offered | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (68), Specific learning difficulty (51), emotional and mental health (49), Autistic spectrum disorder (48), Other difficulty or disability (10), language and communications needs (9).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,077 | 1,108 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 21% | 19% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 6% | 6% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 17% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.2% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 9.4% | 4.9% | 4.3% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.4% | 4.7% | 5.9% | 7.4% | 3.5% | 3.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.8% | 4.9% | 3.2% | 2.0% | 1.4% | 0.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 29.2% | 28.6% | 28.1% | 32.4% | 10.3% | 8.8% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 18.9 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for The Burton Borough School, the school this one replaced in April 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Girls' High School Academy | Academy (grammar) | 830 m | 884 | Outstanding 2022 | 98 | Compare |
| Haberdashers' Adams | Academy (grammar) | 940 m | 1,090 | Good 2022 | 92 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares The Burton Borough School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 3 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 3% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 2 to 4. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.17 | 2025 results; 214 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | well below | -0.42 | Ofsted grade, 4.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.52 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 214 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.06 | 2024/25; 1,152 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.26 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 214 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is The Burton Borough School a good school?
The figures are weak. The Burton Borough School scores 3 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 2 to 4, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is The Burton Borough School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated The Burton Borough School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 10 November 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are The Burton Borough School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 30% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 39.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does The Burton Borough School have?
1,077 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,210 places, so it is 89% full.
Is The Burton Borough School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 117 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at The Burton Borough School?
Pupils were in school 89.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at The Burton Borough School?
The average class had 24.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 18% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does The Burton Borough School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Audley Avenue, Newport, TF10 7DS
- Telephone
- 01952 951408
- Website
- burtonborough.lct.education
- Headteacher
- Mrs Caroline Bedford
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Learning Community Trust (13 schools)
- Local authority
- Telford and Wrekin
- Ward
- Newport South
- Constituency
- The Wrekin
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2024 (new provision)
- URN
- 150363 · LAESTAB 8944003 · UKPRN 10093893
- Formerly
- The Burton Borough School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Telford and Wrekin council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.