St James Academy, Dudley

From the headteacher's welcome: "Since joining the Trust, St James is the most improved school in the Borough for grades achieved at GCSE and for passing Maths and English at Grade 5 or above. In fact, the proportion of learners achieving Grade 5 or higher in both English and Mathematics has doubled!"

In 2026, pupils at St James Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.1 in Dudley and 47 across England.

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

That is up from 36.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.11: pupils made 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 36.2, against 46.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 139 families put St James Academy as their first choice and 307 named it as one of their preferences, for 176 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St James Academy are Bishop Milner Catholic College (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.4); Pegasus Academy (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.7); The Link Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.2); and Beacon Hill Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.4).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than St James Academy.

St James Academy is one of 8 schools run by Dudley Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.4 in 2024/25.

Of the 163 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 72% to a further education college and 1% into work.

50.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 34.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (33%), Asian (23%) and Black (18%).

In 2026, 110 pupils (12.7%) received SEN support and 22 (2.5%) 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.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Dudley Interchange (West Midlands Metro), about 760 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Charlton Street (opposite), 180 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 443 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Dudley (212), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St James Academy issued 161 suspensions, 18.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St James Academy are Jesson's Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles), Priory Primary School (0.4 miles), Blowers Green Primary School (0.5 miles) and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.