SCHOOL PROFILE

Sir Graham Balfour High School

Secondary Academy converter URN 142983
Open
Pupils 8,834,192 Latest school census
Capacity 1,042 Published school capacity
Capacity used 96.3% Pupils as a share of capacity
Age range 11 – 18 Statutory age range
OFSTED

Latest ungraded inspection

9 October 2024
Latest published outcome Standards maintained
SCHOOL DETAILS

About this school

School type Academy converter
Phase Secondary
Gender Mixed
Religious character Does not apply
Local authority Staffordshire
Trust INSIGHT MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Census date 15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE

School community

Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.

2025/26
Total pupils 1,003 1,003 full-time · 0 part-time
Female pupils 497 49.6% of pupils
Male pupils 506 50.4% of pupils

Free school meals

Pupils eligible for free school meals.

20.8%
4.0 pts below England
School 20.8%
Stafford 18.1%
West Midlands 30.6%
England 24.8%

English as an additional language

Pupils whose first language is not English.

8.9%
11.4 pts below England
School 8.9%
Stafford 8.2%
West Midlands 22.4%
England 20.3%

Young carers

Pupils recorded as young carers.

0.8%
0.2 pts below England
School 0.8%
Stafford 0.4%
West Midlands 0.6%
England 1.0%

Ethnicity

Largest recorded pupil groups.

White British
82.5%
827
Any other White background
5.1%
51
Indian
2.3%
23
Any other Mixed background
2.0%
20
White and Black Caribbean
1.6%
16
Any other Asian background
1.3%
13
Council, regional and national comparisons are pupil-weighted using published school census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS

Special educational needs

Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.

2025/26
Pupils with SEN 19.8% 199 of 1,003 pupils
1.0 pts below England England: 20.8%
School 19.8%
Stafford 20.1%
West Midlands 21.1%
England 20.8%
SEN support 16.8% 168 pupils
England 14.8% 2.0 pts above
EHC plans 3.1% 31 pupils
England 6.0% 2.9 pts below
PRIMARY NEEDS

Most common identified needs

Pupils
Other difficulty or disability 44
Autistic spectrum disorder 38
Moderate learning difficulty 38
Specific learning difficulty 37
Social, emotional & mental health 23
Physical disability 5

SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Key stage 4 outcomes

Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.

2024/25
ATTAINMENT 8

Average attainment score

45.0 5.8 pts above England
School 45.0
Stafford 35.5
West Midlands 38.3
England 39.2
English & maths grade 5+ 37.6% England 36.0% 1.6 pts above England
English & maths grade 4+ 56.6% England 51.4% 5.2 pts above England
EBacc entry 36.4% England 30.6% 5.8 pts above England
EBacc average point score 4.07 England 3.41
Progress 8 Not available for 2024/25

Latest published: -0.17 · 2023/24

Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.

ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE

Attendance profile

Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.

2024/25
ABSENCE RATE

Overall absence

8.83%

Percentage of possible sessions missed.

2.62 pts higher than England
School 8.83%
Stafford 5.35%
West Midlands 6.28%
England 6.22%
ABSENCE RATE

Persistent absence

22.75%

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

6.94 pts higher than England
School 22.75%
Stafford 11.61%
West Midlands 16.42%
England 15.82%
ABSENCE RATE

Severe absence

4.13%

Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.

2.32 pts higher than England
School 4.13%
Stafford 1.46%
West Midlands 1.82%
England 1.80%
Council, regional and national comparisons are averages of published school-level percentages rather than pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

School context

Comparison with open secondary schools.

CAPACITY

Capacity utilisation

96.3% 3.9 pts above England
Sir Graham Balfour High School
96.3%
Stafford
86.1%
West Midlands
94.1%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the same phase. Capacity utilisation is calculated from published pupil and capacity figures.
Sources: Department for Education · Get Information about Schools · Ofsted monthly management information