Mary Elliot Academy, Walsall

Ofsted's report card from its 24 February 2026 inspection grades Mary Elliot Academy on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils at Mary Elliot make steady progress because staff understand the small steps each pupil needs to take."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders check pupils' attendance every day and understand the reasons why some pupils may find it difficult to attend regularly."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a curriculum that meets pupils' needs well."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders take the time to understand each pupil's educational needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and the trust have worked closely together to strengthen the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils at Mary Elliot benefit from a positive and supportive culture that helps them feel they belong."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students in the post-16 provision are supported appropriately to develop the skills they need for adult life."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to develop strategies to support pupils to feel calm, confident and ready to learn throughout the school day"; "Leaders should further strengthen the quality and range of employer encounters so that each pupil benefits from experiences that match their interests, ambitions and talents"; "Leaders should further develop their work to engage all parents and carers to enable them to support their children to realise their future ambitions".

In its own words: "Mary Elliot Academy is a special school for students aged 11-18 with severe and profound complex learning difficulties. The School has state of the art facilities and offers educational accommodation which is second to none. The two-storey building is set within large grounds which are used for all aspects of learning outside the classroom."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a Special Educational Needs provision in Walsall that supports young people aged 11 - 18 with Severe Learning Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Condition and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. We are proud to have joined Thrive Education Partnership, whom we are working closely with to support the holistic needs of our students."

The nearest other special schools to Mary Elliot Academy are Castle School (0.6 miles, Outstanding); Phoenix Academy (0.6 miles, Good); Old Hall School (0.7 miles, Good); and Jane Lane School (1.2 miles, Good).

Mary Elliot Academy is one of 7 schools run by Thrive Education Partnership, an academy trust.

16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mary Elliot Academy (as of April 2026): 81% would recommend the school and 81% say their child is happy there.

The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (88%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (81%).

Of the 26 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.

54.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 28.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (46%), Asian (34%) and Mixed (9%).

Almost every pupil at Mary Elliot Academy has an education, health and care plan (148 of 148 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Bloxwich Rail Station, about 1160 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Industrial Estate (opposite), 50 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mary Elliot Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

Mary Elliot Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.