OFSTED
21 January 2025
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Not judged
OEIF
Quality of education
Inadequate
Behaviour & attitudes
Inadequate
Personal development
Requires improvement
Leadership & management
Inadequate
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Walsall
Trust
THE MERCIAN TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,149
1,149 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
578
50.3% of pupils
Male pupils
571
49.7% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
17.1 pts
above England
School
41.9%
Walsall
36.6%
West Midlands
30.6%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
9.3 pts
below England
School
11.0%
Walsall
24.3%
West Midlands
22.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.6 pts
above England
School
1.6%
Walsall
0.4%
West Midlands
0.6%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
71.8%
825
African
6.8%
78
Any other White background
4.6%
53
Indian
3.4%
39
White and Black Caribbean
2.9%
33
Pakistani
2.3%
26
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
16.3%
187 of
1,149 pupils
4.5 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
1.2 pts
below
England
6.0%
3.3 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
35.0
4.2 pts
below England
Latest published: -1.01 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
15.26%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
9.04 pts
higher than
England
School
15.26%
Walsall
6.88%
West Midlands
6.28%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
43.40%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
27.58 pts
higher than
England
School
43.40%
Walsall
19.49%
West Midlands
16.42%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
9.66%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
7.86 pts
higher than
England
School
9.66%
Walsall
1.95%
West Midlands
1.82%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
77.1%
15.3 pts
below England
Shire Oak Academy
77.1%
Walsall
105.0%
West Midlands
94.1%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.