In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Burton upon Trent at a glance
Behind England on results at 11
How Burton upon Trent's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries5423 primary · 6 secondary · 22 nurseries
Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
Met the standard at 1156%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths41%Attainment 8 45.1, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary28%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school19%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Burton upon Trent
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Schools in Burton upon Trent sit in 2 council areas. Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.
Numbers that sum up Burton upon Trent
Burton upon TrentEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 16 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
6 of the 6 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
56%
England 62%
Below England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
41%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
19%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
28%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 25 schools that have one.
100%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding2
Good23
Requires improvement0
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Burton upon Trent in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1156% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths40% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school19% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here
What it's like for families
Burton upon Trent has 54 schools and nurseries.
There are 20% more pupils than in 2018.
28% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Burton upon Trent's state schools each January.
11.8k2018
12.2k2019
12.7k2021
13.1k2022
13.6k2023
14.0k2024
14.1k2025
14.1k2026
Up 20% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Burton upon Trent28%
Dates to know
Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.
31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.
Keep up with schools in Burton upon Trent
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Burton upon Trent has 54 schools, including 24 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 22 nurseries, 2 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Burton upon Trent?+
The highest-ranked schools in Burton upon Trent on Eduscope are Shobnall Primary & Nursery School, Rykneld Primary School, Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Burton upon Trent are rated Good or Outstanding?+
100% of inspected schools in Burton upon Trent hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 2 schools rated Outstanding and 23 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Burton upon Trent perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Burton upon Trent, 56% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Burton upon Trent?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Burton upon Trent is 18.6:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Burton upon Trent schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Burton upon Trent is 18.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Burton upon Trent?+
There are 14,127 pupils enrolled across schools in Burton upon Trent, with 7,141 in primary and 6,986 in secondary. 27.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How do I choose the right school in Burton upon Trent?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 54 schools in Burton upon Trent by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
