Smestow Academy, Wolverhampton

In its own words: "We strive to make sure our seven simple values are at the heart of everything we do. Smestow academy is a diverse, multicultural and fully inclusive school based on our traditional Smestow values. These were created with our pupils, for our pupils."

In 2026, pupils at Smestow Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Wolverhampton and 47 across England.

48% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Wolverhampton and 47% in England.

That is up from 42.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.31: 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 45.6, against 52.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Smestow Academy as their first choice and 186 named it as one of their preferences, for 85 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 Smestow Academy are St Peter's Collegiate Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 48.2); Highfields School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50); Perton Middle School (1.1 miles, Good); and St Edmund's Catholic Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.2).

Smestow Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

Smestow Academy is one of 9 schools run by Matrix Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44 in 2024/25.

34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Smestow Academy (as of April 2026): 94% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (91%).

Of the 92 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 29 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 79% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 3% into work.

57.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 37.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (28%), White British (22%) and Mixed (16%).

In 2026, 67 pupils (11.4%) received SEN support and 8 (1.4%) 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 moderate learning difficulty.

Smestow Academy had 46 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Wolverhampton St George's (West Midlands Metro), about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Smestow Comp School (adjacent), 100 metres away.

In 2024/25, Smestow Academy issued 174 suspensions, 31.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Smestow Academy are Castlecroft Primary School (0.2 miles), Bhylls Acre Primary School (0.4 miles), Westacre Infant School (0.6 miles) and Christ Church (Church of England) Infant and Nursery School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.