SecondaryState · Academy converter

Priestnall School

Priestnall Road, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 3HP ·

Ofsted:Requires improvement· 2019

At a glance

A state secondary academy for ages 11–16 in Stockport. Rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection of its predecessor school (October 2019). GCSE results are above the England average (Attainment 8: 52.6 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 311 families put it first for 252 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 11–16
Pupils: 1,312
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: No
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Stockport
Academy trust: THE LAURUS TRUST
Headteacher: Miss Rachel Howarth
Opened: Sept 2023

School website 01615497300 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted (framework in use until November 2025)

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Graded inspection 29 Oct 2019Inspection of predecessor school

Requires improvementOverall effectiveness

Quality of education: Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes: Requires improvement
Personal development: Requires improvement
Leadership and management: Requires improvement

Safeguarding effective: Yes

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 247 pupils

Attainment 8

52.6

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

56.7%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

78.9%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

+0.40

2023/24 · CI 0.23 to 0.58

This school

52.6

Stockport

47.1

England

46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Earlier years include results published for this school's predecessor (URN 106133), for example before it converted to an academy.

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

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Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

252

1st preferences

311

All applications

521

1st prefs per place

1.23

More first choices than places

247 of 311 first-preference applicants were offered a place (79%). 1 offers went to families living in another council area.

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Earlier years include data recorded for this school's predecessor.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

1,285

Capacity

1,275

103% full

Girls / boys

47/53

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)14.8%
English as an additional language12.5%
SEN support18.3%
Education, Health and Care plan5.2%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.