Wombourne High School, Wolverhampton

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Wombourne High School on 7 areas: 3 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The school has experienced a period of instability over the past 2 years, including significant changes in leadership and a range of wider challenges."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a comprehensive personal development programme that extends across the whole school day."

Post-16 provision - Expected standard. "The sixth form is a valued and important part of the school."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Overall achievement, including the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, is broadly in line with national averages."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Overall attendance is broadly similar to national averages."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The school's approach to teaching is rooted in a clear understanding of how pupils learn."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The experience of disadvantaged pupils, those known to children's social care and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities in lessons is mixed."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that all staff know and understand the specific barriers to learning that vulnerable pupils face, and that they use effective strategies in lessons so that pupils overcome these and learn well"; "Leaders should ensure that all teachers use the school-wide pedagogical approaches and routines to identify pupils' starting points accurately and to check pupils' understanding, in order to inform and adapt their teaching so that it meets pupils' needs consistently"; "Leaders should ensure that key stage 4 pupils achieve well in all subjects by improving their outcomes in those areas where attainment is currently weaker"; "Leaders should ensure that all pupils, especially those who are vulnerable, benefit from the support they need to improve their behaviour so that they can participate fully in lessons and wider school life"; "Leaders should ensure that they use their analysis of pupils' attendance to inform their approaches so that disadvantaged pupils overcome their specific barriers to regular attendance at school"; "Leaders should continue their work to forge and rebuild constructive relationships with all parents and carers, and to work in partnership with them so that they can see the impact of the actions being taken to improve the school".

In its own words: "Wombourne High School, part of Invictus Education Trust has welcomed the findings of its latest Ofsted inspection, which recognises the meaningful progress being made across the school and highlights significant strengths in leadership, personal development, sixth-form provision and safeguarding."

From the headteacher's welcome: "My name is Nicholas Bradnick-Thompson and I am the proud headteacher here. In April 2025, I joined a vibrant team of staff, leaders and students whose ambitions and desires for the success of Wombourne High School match my own. I bring skills and experience spanning almost two decades in the profession in a variety of leadership positions."

In 2026, pupils at Wombourne High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 42.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.08: 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 32.3, against 45.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 156 families put Wombourne High School as their first choice and 322 named it as one of their preferences, for 185 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 Wombourne High School are Highfields School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50); Kingswinford Academy (2.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.9); Summerhill School (2.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51); and Ellowes Hall Sports College (2.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.2).

Wombourne High School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Wombourne High School is one of 8 schools run by Invictus Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 176 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 9% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 96 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 40% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 25% into work. 5% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

0.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 159 pupils (16%) received SEN support and 24 (2.4%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Wombourne High School.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Windsor Road (adjacent), 270 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Wombourne High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 50 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).

In 2024/25, Wombourne High School issued 135 suspensions, 13.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Wombourne High School are Westfield Primary School (0.1 miles), St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), St Benedict Biscop CofE Primary School (0.6 miles) and Blakeley Heath Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.