Old Swinford Hospital, Stourbridge

Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades Old Swinford Hospital on 7 areas: 2 strong standard, 4 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders consistently promote the importance of high attendance."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school aims 'to provide a uniquely stimulating and supportive environment in which all individuals flourish, grow in understanding, self-confidence and self-esteem, and are fully equipped to meet the challenges and demands of life beyond school'."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils' outcomes in national tests and examinations at key stage 4 have been above national averages over time across many subjects."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured that a well-planned, ambitious curriculum is in place for pupils and students in the sixth form."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school has a clear system for identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as those with other barriers to learning."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, the school has undergone significant change."

Post-16 provision - Needs attention. "Due to inconsistent teaching and oversight of independent study in the past, students in the sixth form have not performed as well as they should in public examinations."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers in the sixth form are skilled at delivering the curriculum so that students achieve consistently well in public examinations"; "Leaders should ensure that staff have the precise information they need so that barriers to learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are swiftly and effectively addressed"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching effectively checks pupils understanding so that gaps in learning and misconceptions are swiftly resolved"; "Governors should ensure that leaders have the capacity needed to identify, monitor and act on priorities for improvement so that there are consistently strong standards across all areas of the school".

In its own words: "At Old Swinford Hospital, we aim to provide an outstanding education, both within and beyond the classroom, which enables all of our students to realise and exceed their potential."

In 2026, pupils at Old Swinford Hospital averaged an Attainment 8 score of 57.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.1 in Dudley and 47 across England.

71% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Dudley and 47% in England.

That is down from 59 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.44: pupils made above 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 51.3, against 58.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Business Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 230 families put Old Swinford Hospital as their first choice and 400 named it as one of their preferences, for 167 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 77 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Old Swinford Hospital are Redhill School (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48); The Pedmore High School (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.5); Ridgewood High School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44); and Thorns Collegiate Academy (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.6).

Old Swinford Hospital's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

97 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Old Swinford Hospital (as of April 2026): 92% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 59% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (59%).

Of the 88 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 16% to a further education college and 2% into work.

Of the 107 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 58% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 20% into work. 24% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

5.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (67%), Mixed (14%) and Asian (10%).

In 2026, 101 pupils (9.7%) received SEN support and 25 (2.4%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Stourbridge Town Rail Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stourbridge College (adjacent), 140 metres away.

In 2024/25, Old Swinford Hospital issued 30 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Old Swinford Hospital are Greenfield Primary School (0.3 miles), Oldswinford C of E Primary School (0.3 miles), St Joseph's RC Primary School (0.5 miles) and Gig Mill Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.