Shire Oak Academy, Walsall

In its own words: "To provide a safe, secure, caring and supportive environment in which all students may take advantage of the opportunities we provide to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to prepare them for taking up an adult place in 21st Century society as responsible, responsive and enterprising citizens who become effective lifelong learners and make a positive contribution to society."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is a genuine privilege to serve as Headteacher of a school that sits at the heart of its community and is driven by an unwavering belief in the potential of every young person. At Shire Oak Academy, we are ambitious for our students, ambitious for our staff, and ambitious for the community that we proudly serve."

In 2026, pupils at Shire Oak Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Walsall and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Walsall and 47% in England.

That is up from 35 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.01: pupils made well 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 26.6, against 42.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 67 families put Shire Oak Academy as their first choice and 206 named it as one of their preferences, for 128 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 Shire Oak Academy are Brownhills Ormiston Academy (1.4 miles, Attainment 8 42.5); Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.6); Erasmus Darwin Academy (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.9); and St Francis of Assisi Catholic College (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Shire Oak Academy.

Shire Oak Academy is one of 12 schools run by The Mercian Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49 in 2024/25.

91 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Shire Oak Academy (as of April 2026): 47% would recommend the school, 55% say their child is happy there and 32% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (55%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (32%).

Of the 234 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 101 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 45% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 24% into work. 9% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

41.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (72%), Black (9%) and Asian (7%).

In 2026, 156 pupils (13.6%) received SEN support and 31 (2.7%) 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.

Shire Oak Academy has a resourced provision: 10 places, 10 pupils on roll.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Shire Oak Academy.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shire Oak Hill (on), 170 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 154 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Walsall (297).

In 2024/25, Shire Oak Academy issued 329 suspensions, 25.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Shire Oak Academy are Walsall Wood School (0.3 miles), Castlefort Academy (0.6 miles), Millfield Primary School (0.6 miles) and St John's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.