Wolgarston High School
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Wolgarston High School is a converter academy in Stafford for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. It has 847 pupils and room for 860. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 67 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Cannock Road, Penkridge, Stafford, ST19 5RX01785 788400wolgarston.staffs.sch.ukMr Daniel Boden headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 12 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2022 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
204 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† | Staffordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 204 | 211 | 207 | 210 | 167 | 163 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 47.6 | 49.2 | 52.1 | 54.3 | 48.7 | 52.4 | 44.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.38 | +0.64 | +0.49 | +0.46 | +0.73 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 47% | 50% | 58% | 57% | 43% | 56% | 38% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 76% | 72% | 73% | 81% | 70% | 83% | 61% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.10 | 4.27 | 4.61 | 4.83 | 4.38 | 4.74 | 3.77 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 40% | 37% | 53% | 51% | 56% | 63% | 32% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 34.8 | 41.4 | 44.4 | 43.8 | 40.9 | 46.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 49.8 | 50.5 | 53.1 | 56.0 | 50.2 | 53.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 31.6 | 33.5 | 37.2 | 29.3 | 37.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 67.1 | 68.9 | 69.5 | 61.0 | 63.7 | – | – |
† These results are for Wolgarston High School, the school this one replaced in April 2018. 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: Spanish (11% here, 54% across England), French (31% here, 60% across England), Computer Science (27% here, 56% across England), Combined Science (13% here, 36% 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 | 202 | 20% | 51% | 79% | 53% | 1,593 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 202 | 17% | 60% | 82% | 58% | 1,256 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 202 | 17% | 57% | 77% | 54% | 1,209 of 3,210 |
| Religious Studies | 196 | 11% | 42% | 56% | 60% | 1,541 of 1,825 |
| History | 154 | 29% | 55% | 70% | 52% | 1,280 of 3,126 |
| Combined Science | 144 | 0% | 13% | 48% | 36% | 2,898 of 3,084 |
| Art and Design | 107 | 22% | 65% | 90% | 58% | 1,136 of 2,818 |
| French | 64 | 8% | 31% | 47% | 60% | 1,791 of 1,974 |
| Biology | 58 | 33% | 79% | 98% | 82% | 1,669 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 58 | 31% | 79% | 97% | 81% | 1,597 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 58 | 40% | 90% | 98% | 82% | 1,135 of 2,546 |
| Geography | 57 | 23% | 54% | 68% | 51% | 1,113 of 3,116 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 32 | 13% | 34% | 56% | 52% | 854 of 1,098 |
| Business | 29 | 14% | 48% | 69% | 51% | 886 of 1,806 |
| Media / Film / TV | 20 | 15% | 60% | 75% | 55% | 228 of 580 |
| Spanish | 18 | 6% | 11% | 22% | 54% | – |
| Physical Education | 18 | 33% | 78% | 89% | 56% | – |
| Computer Science | 15 | 7% | 27% | 33% | 56% | – |
| Music | 12 | 8% | 33% | 50% | 61% | – |
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.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
93 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 93 | 94 | 102 | 85 | 190 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 35.83 | 39.22 | 40.57 | 41.95 | 34.33 |
| Average A level grade | B- | B | B | B+ | C+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 37.76 | 42.11 | 44.33 | 44.02 | 35.67 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 23% | 34% | 38% | 34% | 15% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.12 | +0.39 | – | – | +0.00 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 34.38 | 36.03 | 33.56 | 39.87 | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 98% | 96% | 97% | 99% | 93% |
A level subjects
12 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
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 94 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 6.8 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
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. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 6.8 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 220 | 242 | 246 | 6.8 miles | 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: Autistic spectrum disorder (21), Moderate learning difficulty (19), emotional and mental health (19), Other difficulty or disability (17), Specific learning difficulty (16), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 847 | 834 | 826 | 813 | 820 | 795 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 14% | 12% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 1% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 12% | 11% | 9% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.1% 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 | 7.0% | 7.2% | 7.1% | 8.9% | 4.0% | 5.9% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.3% | 7.3% | 3.2% | 4.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.8% | 1.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 18.1% | 20.3% | 19.4% | 25.7% | 9.4% | 16.2% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 10.7 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 7.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 207 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 92%, compared with 97% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 96% | 93% | 97% | 98% |
| Education | 87% | 87% | 89% | 91% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Work | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 1% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
After sixth form
Where the 98 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 67% went on to degree-level study or training and 11% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 96% | 95% | 90% | – |
| Education | 57% | 66% | 57% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 12% | 6% | 9% | 8% |
| Work | 27% | 24% | 24% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 2% | 9% | – |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penkridge Middle School | Academy | 820 m | 509 | Good 2022 | 87 | Compare |
| The Rural Enterprise Academy | Free school | 1.6 miles | 217 | Report card 2026 | 32 | Compare |
| Cardinal Griffin Catholic College | Academy | 3.2 miles | 732 | Good 2023 | 35 | Compare |
| Staffordshire University Academy | Academy | 3.5 miles | 709 | Good 2023 | 15 | Compare |
| Cannock Chase High School | Academy | 3.7 miles | 1,113 | Good 2023 | 27 | Compare |
| Kingsmead School | Academy | 4.5 miles | 1,427 | Report card 2026 | 65 | Compare |
| Walton High School | Academy | 4.6 miles | 1,262 | Not inspected | 53 | Compare |
| Brewood Middle CofE Academy | Academy | 4.6 miles | 422 | Good 2024 | 56 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Wolgarston High School with the 50 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 50 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 67 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 67% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 75. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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% | in line | +0.03 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 204 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | -0.04 | Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.11 | DfE progress measure; 204 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.06 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.06 | 2024/25; 659 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.12 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 204 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.04 | 207 pupils |
| 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 Wolgarston High School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Wolgarston High School scores 67 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 75, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Wolgarston High School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 12 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.
How good are Wolgarston High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 47% 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 47.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Wolgarston High School have?
847 pupils aged 13 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 860 places, so it is 98% full.
Is Wolgarston High School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 6.8 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Wolgarston High School?
Pupils were in school 93.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Wolgarston High School?
The average class had 20.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 11% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Wolgarston High School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 12 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Cannock Road, Penkridge, Stafford, ST19 5RX
- Telephone
- 01785 788400
- Website
- www.wolgarston.staffs.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Daniel Boden
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 13-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Penk Valley Academy Trust (7 schools)
- Local authority
- Staffordshire
- Ward
- Penkridge North & Acton Trussell
- Constituency
- Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2018 (academy converter)
- URN
- 145381 · LAESTAB 8604100 · UKPRN 10066653
- Formerly
- Wolgarston High 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.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Staffordshire 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.