Grace Academy Darlaston, Wednesbury

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Grace Academy Darlaston 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.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders' work to develop pupils personally has a notable positive impact."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders identify pupils with gaps in their knowledge effectively, particularly in the foundations of reading, writing and mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders understand the picture around pupils' attendance and behaviour well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have improved the quality of teaching and curriculum over time."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders place inclusion at the heart of the school's work."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "School and trust leaders, and those responsible for governance, have a clear understanding of the school's context and the challenges pupils face."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the post-16 provision."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to develop teachers' skills in adapting their teaching to meet pupils' needs so that all are able to access the curriculum successfully and achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that their agreed approaches to assessment are consistently applied throughout the school so that any gaps in pupils' knowledge are accurately identified and addressed"; "Leaders should continue working with a range of partners to further improve attendance, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities".

In its own words: "Welcome to Grace Academy Darlaston, where our vision is to develop well educated, considerate and caring citizens with a strong sense of values who will succeed in, and contribute to modern society."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are delighted that your child has chosen Grace Academy Post 16 to continue their education. If you have not had the chance to come and see us, we would very much like you to come and meet us and have a tour of the school. You can meet students and staff and see the academy hard at work."

The school runs after-school care until 4:00pm.

In 2026, pupils at Grace Academy Darlaston averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Walsall and 47 across England.

23% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Walsall and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 41.2.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.04: pupils made about 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 34.7, against 46.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 181 families put Grace Academy Darlaston as their first choice and 352 named it as one of their preferences, for 206 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Grace Academy Darlaston are St Thomas More Catholic School, Willenhall (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7); Moseley Park (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 45.4); Gospel Oak School (1.4 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 39.2); and Ormiston SWB Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.3).

Grace Academy Darlaston's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Grace Academy Darlaston is one of 16 schools run by Tove Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.3 in 2024/25.

Of the 173 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 60% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 32 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 50% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 16% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

55.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Willenhall Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Darlaston Comp School (adjacent), 80 metres away.

In 2024/25, Grace Academy Darlaston issued 244 suspensions, 22.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Grace Academy Darlaston are Woods Bank Academy (0.3 miles); Old Church Church of England C Primary School (0.3 miles); Pinfold Street Primary School (0.4 miles); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Darlaston (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.