Sir Graham Balfour High School is a secondary school in Stafford, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Sir Graham Balfour High School currently has around 998 pupils on roll, which is about 96% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 49.8% boys and 50.2% girls. Around 19.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. Pupil backgrounds are varied across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9.3%. Persistent absence is recorded at 26.4%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (83.8%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 95% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (87%) , including 37% who stay in school sixth forms and 50% progressing to further education , while 6% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | North Avenue, Stafford, ST16 1NR |
| Website: | http://www.sirgrahambalfour.co.uk |
| Telephone: | 01785223490 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Staffordshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr Matthew Mason |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 142983 |
Ofsted inspection date: 08/05/2014
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 18 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1042 |
| Number of Pupils: | 998 |
| Number of Boys: | 497 |
| Number of Girls: | 501 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9.3% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 26.4% | 8.2% |
| White British | 83.80% | 836 |
| Other White | 4.60% | 46 |
| Indian | 2.20% | 22 |
| Other Mixed | 1.70% | 17 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.60% | 16 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.30% | 13 |
| Other Asian | 1.10% | 11 |
| African | 1.00% | 10 |
| White and Asian | 0.60% | 6 |
| Unclassified | 0.60% | 6 |
| White and Black African | 0.50% | 5 |
| Pakistani | 0.30% | 3 |
| Chinese | 0.30% | 3 |
| Irish | 0.20% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.10% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford Childrens Centre Faraday Road , ST16 3NQ | - not rated | 1,951 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkside Primary School Bradshaw Way , Parkside ST16 1TH | 3out of 4 | 115 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Parkside Primary School Bradshaw Way , Parkside ST16 1TH | - not rated | 115 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Tillington Manor Primary School Young Avenue , ST16 1PW | - not rated | 892 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Tillington Manor Primary School Young Avenue , ST16 1PW | 2out of 4 | 892 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Beaconfields Primary School Ramson Avenue , ST16 1ZY | - not rated | 1,080 yd | Free schools | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Graham Balfour High School North Avenue , ST16 1NR | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Sir Graham Balfour High School North Avenue , ST16 1NR | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holmcroft Middle School Young Avenue , ST16 1PW | - not rated | 818 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Riverway CofE Middle School Riverway , ST16 3TJ | - not rated | 2,709 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Chetwynd Middle School 10 Newport Road , ST16 2HE | - not rated | 3,116 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford College Earl Street , ST16 2QR | - not rated | 2,652 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus School - Stafford Primary Campus Verulam Road , ST16 3EA | - not rated | 833 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Greenhall Nursery Second Avenue , Holmcroft ST16 1PS | - not rated | 901 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Greenhall Second Avenue , Holmcroft ST16 1PS | 4out of 4 | 901 yd | Academy special converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Marshlands School Second Avenue , Tillington ST16 1PS | 3out of 4 | 908 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Brooklands Preparatory School 167 Eccleshall Road , ST16 1PD | - not rated | 1,265 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.