Great Wyrley Academy
Walsall, WS6 6LQ · Staffordshire · secondary school
Check the area around this school
27th of 56 secondary schools in Staffordshire we can score, 70 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 4.6/10 against 689 of them, against 3.4/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 36.9 · 30 | 30% | 0.89 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.08 · 44 | 25% | 1.10 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 41.3 · 25 | 10% | 0.25 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Great Wyrley Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 26.5% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 39.0, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.08 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did slightly worse than peers nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (3.0 out of 10 against similar schools, 2.5 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in 2023.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join Art Club, or play rounders and football.
Getting in
The published school roll is 606 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,119. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific steps are taken to improve Progress 8 scores for students from similar backgrounds?
What Ofsted said about Great Wyrley Academy
Overview
Great Wyrley Academy is described as a “rapidly improving school” where pupils are happy and feel safe. Leaders have galvanised staff to pursue a culture of “excellence” and deliver an ambitious curriculum that supports both academic success and personal development.
Strengths
- Pupils build “strong, positive relationships” with peers and staff, feeling confident that bullying is dealt with “swiftly and effectively”.
- The curriculum is carefully designed by subject experts, helping pupils remember key knowledge; for example, younger pupils in modern foreign languages speak with “growing confidence and fluency”.
- Leaders have developed a strong culture of reading, using curated texts to help pupils gain a “balanced view on important issues such as race and discrimination”.
- Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is improving, with the SENDCo ensuring staff have necessary information, and sixth-form SEND students being “well supported”.
- Leaders actively understand pupils’ day-to-day experiences, empowering them to share concerns about issues like sexual harassment and gender identity.
Areas to improve
- In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment well enough to identify misconceptions, which limits pupil progress.
- Some teachers do not adapt work well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, causing them to fall behind.
- Attendance and punctuality remain below expectations, with leaders’ current actions not yet having the “desired effect”.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving necessary training and leaders acting swiftly to make timely referrals when concerns arise.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 41.0 |
| 2024/25 | 39.0 |
| 2025/26 | 41.3 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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