Walsall Academy, Walsall

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Walsall Academy on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders' work to be inclusive is effective."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders at all levels have made significant improvements at Walsall Academy."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders' work for pupils' personal development and wellbeing is successful."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Results in pupils' national assessments have improved."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have worked relentlessly on improving pupils' attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have reviewed the curriculum."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The sixth-form provision is a source of pride for the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to develop the quality of teaching, including the consistency of checking for pupils' understanding"; "Leaders should continue their work to improve pupils' achievement, with a particular focus on English and mathematics".

In 2026, pupils at Walsall Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Walsall and 47 across England.

34% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Walsall and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 43.9.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.09: 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 38.1, against 47 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Sports Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 373 families put Walsall Academy as their first choice and 724 named it as one of their preferences, for 202 places offered. That is 1.8 first choices for every place. 189 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Walsall Academy are Bloxwich Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 32.9); Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.6); Willenhall E-ACT Academy (2.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 32.7); and Coppice Performing Arts School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7).

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

Walsall Academy is one of 6 schools run by Thomas Telford Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.2 in 2024/25.

114 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Walsall Academy (as of April 2026): 88% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 79% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (89%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (78%).

Of the 208 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 176 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 55% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 15% into work. 9% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

37.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (62%), Black (15%) and Asian (8%).

Walsall Academy had 106 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bloxwich Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Field Road (opposite), 130 metres away.

In 2024/25, Walsall Academy issued 149 suspensions, 10.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Walsall Academy are St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Bloxwich (0.2 miles); Lower Farm Primary School (0.4 miles); All Saints National Academy (0.4 miles); and Little Bloxwich CofE VC Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.