The Link Academy, Dudley

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades The Link Academy on 6 areas: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. 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 have an accurate understanding of the issues that some pupils face with attendance."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have ensured that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs accurately and swiftly identified and assessed."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders at all levels are highly ambitious for the school and understand their role in its continued improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have developed a very well-thought-out programme for pupils' broader development."

Achievement - Expected standard. "The work that pupils produce, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, shows that they typically have a secure understanding of the curriculum."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured that there is a well-designed, logically sequenced curriculum in place that is ambitious and meets pupils' needs."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is embedded in each subject, with teachers using assessment to precisely identify what and how to teach, and when".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am immensely proud of what we have achieved at The Link Academy so far. Since Progress 8 was reintroduced (post pandemic), The Link Academy has been at or above the National Average . We have also seen significant improvements in outcomes at Grade 4+ in English and Maths and Grade 5+ in English and Maths."

In 2026, pupils at The Link Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.1 in Dudley and 47 across England.

48% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Dudley and 47% in England.

That is up from 40.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.02: pupils made about 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 39.7, against 49.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 174 families put The Link Academy as their first choice and 357 named it as one of their preferences, for 196 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Link Academy are Pegasus Academy (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.7); St James Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.6); Ormiston Forge Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.1); and St Michael's Church of England High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.4).

The Link Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

The Link 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 177 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 70% to a further education college and 1% into work.

51.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 176 pupils (17.4%) received SEN support and 23 (2.3%) 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 Flood Street (West Midlands Metro), about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Johns Street (after), 110 metres away.

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

In 2024/25, The Link Academy issued 153 suspensions, 15.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Link Academy are Northfield Road Primary School (0.3 miles), Netherton CofE Primary School (0.3 miles), Sledmere Primary School (0.6 miles) and Blowers Green Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.