Cheslyn Hay Academy, Walsall

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades Cheslyn Hay Academy on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Post 16 provision - Strong standard. "Students in the sixth form are integral to the wider community across the school."

Achievement - Expected standard. "In most subjects, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders' work to ensure that pupils attend school regularly is successful."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders routinely monitor the quality of the curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders, supported by the trust, have prioritised their work on inclusion effectively."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, know the school and wider community well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school has a carefully planned programme for pupils' personal development."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff consistently use their checks on pupils' learning to adapt their teaching so that pupils deepen their knowledge and skills"; "Leaders should ensure that staff provide precise guidance and feedback to pupils about how to improve their work so that it has a positive impact on their progress across all subjects".

In its own words: "Our school provides a positive and welcoming learning environment for all students. We have a culture of high expectations and an excellent reputation for enabling our children to flourish and reach high levels of achievement. You can discover more about our school below."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Cheslyn Hay Academy, an excellent school striving for all of our community to unlock their academic and personal potential. We pride ourselves in being one of the best schools in our area whilst remaining very much at the heart of our community. Since joining the Windsor Academy Trust in 2018, our school has gone from strength to strength."

In 2026, pupils at Cheslyn Hay Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.

38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 42.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.22: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 31.2, against 43.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and French.

For September 2026 entry, 229 families put Cheslyn Hay Academy as their first choice and 426 named it as one of their preferences, for 222 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 20 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Cheslyn Hay Academy are Great Wyrley Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.3); Cannock Chase High School (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.5); Cardinal Griffin Catholic College (2.5 miles, Attainment 8 38.3); and Walsall Academy (3.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 43.5).

Cheslyn Hay Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Cheslyn Hay Academy is one of 15 schools run by Windsor Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.4 in 2024/25.

Of the 209 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 82 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 61% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 21% into work. 15% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (5%).

In 2026, 109 pupils (8.5%) received SEN support and 16 (1.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Landywood Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cheslyn Hay Academy (adjacent), 90 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 36 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).

In 2024/25, Cheslyn Hay Academy issued 331 suspensions, 26.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Cheslyn Hay Academy are Cheslyn Hay Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles), Glenthorne Community Primary School (0.6 miles), Moat Hall Primary Academy (1 mile) and Bridgtown Primary School (1.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.