SchoolScoresSmestow Academy
Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 18 · Mixed · Sixth form
Part of MATRIX ACADEMY TRUST
Windmill Crescent, Wolverhampton, WV3 8HU
01902 539500 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 11 November 2025 , published 11 January 2026.
In short: 3 strong, 4 expected, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Post-16 provisionSixth form or other study after 16. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Wolverhampton comparisons use the 3 of its 23 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 20 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Wolverhampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 1st highest of 3 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Wolverhampton. Higher than 87% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 94% | 91% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school Joint 2nd highest of 3 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Wolverhampton. Higher than 74% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 91% | 92% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved Joint 1st highest of 3 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Wolverhampton. Higher than 86% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 91% | 90% | 78% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 29 parents who had raised a concern 3rd highest of 3 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Wolverhampton. Higher than 71% of 431 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 79% | 81% | 74% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 1st highest of 3 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Wolverhampton. Higher than 83% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 94%said yes | 93% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 6%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Wolverhampton figures pool parents at the Wolverhampton schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25
90 pupils in this year group.
31% — 8 points below the Wolverhampton average, and 14 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Wolverhampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 31% | 40% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. | 42.6 | 44.5 | 46.1 |
| EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.
Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
A levels (16 to 18), 2024/25
9 A level students in this year group.
Only 9 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.
| Measure | This school | Wolverhampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average A level grade | C- | C | B- |
| A level exams graded A* or A | 11% | 21% | 26% |
| A level exams graded A* to B | 17% | 44% | 53% |
| Average points per A level entryAn A* is 60 points, an A is 50, a B is 40, and so on down to 10 for an E. | 26.5 | 31.5 | 35 |
A level subjects, 2024/25
5 subjects, 18 exams. England figures are for state-funded schools and colleges.
Also taken, with too few exams for DfE to publish grades: English Literature, Psychology, Biology, Italian, Chemistry.
Source: DfE 16 to 18 qualification and subject data, 2024/25.
Source: DfE 16 to 18 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Wolverhampton. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.
| Places offered | 85 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 40 |
| Of those, offered a place | 40 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 186 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.2 · 2025: 0.2 · 2026: 0.5
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Wolverhampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 7th highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 93% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 54.8% | 46.2%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan 20th highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 12% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 1.3% | 2.2%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 20th highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 32% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 11.4% | 15.9%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language 6th highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 88% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 42.2% | 31.8%* | 19.2% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 16th lowest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Lower than 51% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 8.3% | 7.3%* | 8.4% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 19th lowest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Lower than 33% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 26.8% | 20.5%* | 23.4% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 21st lowest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Lower than 22% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 31.5 | 11.6 | 21.2 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 21st lowest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Lower than 15% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 13.4% | 6.0% | 7.3% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.27% | 0.23% |
| Pupils per teacher 22nd highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 3% of 3,442 state secondary schools in England. | 13.1 | 15.3 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 18th highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 17% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year Joint 9th highest of 23 state secondary schools in Wolverhampton. Higher than 46% of 3,430 state secondary schools in England. | 12.5% | 12.5%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- St Peter's Collegiate Academy 1.0 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 37% grade 5+ English and maths
- Highfields School 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 3 strong, 4 expected · 59% grade 5+ English and maths
- Perton Middle School 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2017), confirmed 2023
- St Edmund's Catholic Academy 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2012, before conversion), confirmed 2025 · 47% grade 5+ English and maths
- St Regis CofE Academy 1.2 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 1 strong, 4 expected, 2 needs attention · 22% grade 5+ English and maths
- Tettenhall College Incorporated 1.2 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 20% A*/A at A level
- Wolverhampton Girls' High School 1.4 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2023) · 97% grade 5+ English and maths
- Wolverhampton Grammar School 1.5 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 42% A*/A at A level
- The Royal School, Wolverhampton 2.1 miles · Ofsted: No graded inspection · 33% grade 5+ English and maths
- Progress Schools - Wolverhampton 2.2 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2024)
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Smestow Academy's Ofsted rating?
Smestow Academy was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 11 November 2025. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 3 strong, 4 expected, and safeguarding was met.
How did Smestow Academy do in its GCSEs?
In 2024/25, 31% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 14 points below the England average of 45%.
Would parents recommend Smestow Academy?
94% of the 34 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Smestow Academy to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Smestow Academy oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 40 families put Smestow Academy as their first choice for 85 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 40 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 149635.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, GCSEs 2024/25, A levels 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.