SchoolScoresCedars - Newcastle, Moorlands and Darwin Bases
Pupil referral unit · Secondary, ages 11 to 16 · Mixed
High Street, Knutton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 6BX
01782 973760 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 12 November 2014.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Outcomes for pupils | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 26 June 2024: Ofsted found the school was still Good but had some concerns, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
Results
No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Staffordshire. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Staffordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years | 50.9% | 22.7%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan | 1.8% | 2.3%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 98.2% | 13.4%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language | 1.8% | 7.6%* | 19.2% |
| Pupils per teacher | 3.8 | 17.3 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) | 2.7 | 12.0 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year | 7.7% | 13.9%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- The Orme Academy 0.5 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024) · 35% grade 5+ English and maths
- Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent 1.3 miles · Ofsted: Good (2013), confirmed 2023 · 38% grade 5+ English and maths
- Demetae Academy 1.3 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI
- St John Fisher Catholic College 1.4 miles · Ofsted: Requires improvement (2023) · 35% grade 5+ English and maths
- Chesterton Community Sports College 1.4 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 23% grade 5+ English and maths
- Phoenix Independent School 1.5 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2025)
- Newcastle-under-Lyme School 1.6 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 39% A*/A at A level
- Haywood Academy 2.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 17% grade 5+ English and maths
- The Registry 2.0 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2025)
- Excellence Girls Academy 2.3 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2024)
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Cedars - Newcastle, Moorlands and Darwin Bases's Ofsted rating?
Cedars - Newcastle, Moorlands and Darwin Bases was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 12 November 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 26 June 2024, Ofsted found the school was still Good but had some concerns, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 131652.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.