Wodensborough Ormiston Academy, Wednesbury

In its own words: "We have a team of dedicated, specialist curriculum and student welfare staff who work together to ensure that the needs of each individual child are met. Good discipline, attendance, punctuality and hard work really do matter at Wodensborough and we expect our students to play an active part in their own future."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Our small and bespoke sixth form (WOA6) caters for students in Years 12 and 13 who have EHCPs. I believe education is the key to opportunity. As Principal, I have the very highest expectations of, and for, all and I am uncompromising in my view that the students must be at the very heart of all we do."

In 2026, pupils at Wodensborough Ormiston Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.2 in Sandwell and 47 across England.

42% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 37% in Sandwell and 47% in England.

That is up from 38.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.53: 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 34.6, against 45.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.7 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 201 families put Wodensborough Ormiston Academy as their first choice and 391 named it as one of their preferences, for 210 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 Wodensborough Ormiston Academy are The Phoenix Collegiate (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.9); Wood Green Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 43.9); Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.5); and Joseph Leckie Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.9).

Wodensborough Ormiston Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Wodensborough Ormiston Academy is one of 44 schools run by Ormiston Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41 in 2024/25.

41 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Wodensborough Ormiston Academy (as of April 2026): 95% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 90% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (95%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (88%).

Of the 215 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

49.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 243 pupils (21.7%) received SEN support and 89 (8%) 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.

Wodensborough Ormiston Academy has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and autism: 25 places, 21 pupils on roll.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Wednesbury Central (West Midlands Metro), about 1 mile away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wodensborough Ormiston Academy (adjacent), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Wodensborough Ormiston Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Wodensborough Ormiston Academy issued 171 suspensions, 15 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Wodensborough Ormiston Academy are Tameside Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Mesty Croft Primary (0.4 miles), Moorlands Primary School (0.4 miles) and Hall Green Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.