Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #16 in Walsall public Top 43% UK

Shire Oak Academy

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMrs Annabel Stoddart

corporate_fareTHE MERCIAN TRUST

location_onWalsall, WS9 9PA

language Visit Website phone 1543452518

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2025

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Students

1,471

trending_up

Attainment 8

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GCSE Rank

#16 in Walsall

#3,024 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Shire Oak Academy is a Academy converter secondary school in Walsall, serving ages 11-18. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards.

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School Summary

Shire Oak Academy is an academy converter in Walsall, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of THE MERCIAN TRUST. The school has approximately 1,297 pupils on roll, of whom 41% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 35, placing the school #16 in Walsall and #3,024 of 3,216 nationally. 25.80% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 9.3% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 17 A-level subjects. 36.9% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 16.3% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.44 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2025. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Inadequate, behaviour and attitudes Inadequate, personal development Requires improvement, and leadership and management Inadequate.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.4× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 17.7:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there was 1 permanent exclusion. The average suspension rate was 9.0 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

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Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

25.80%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)9.3%

Entering EBacc3.30%

EBacc APS2.9

2024

Progress 8 Score

-1.01

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

35.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc0.90%

EBacc APS2.83

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.81

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc4%

EBacc APS3.12

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.47

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

43.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc4%

EBacc APS3.42

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc5%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.21

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

45.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc37%

EBacc APS3.92

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.26

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc35%

EBacc APS3.58

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

86%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)80%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)79%

Apprenticeships7%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

91%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)78%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment9%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)87%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)84%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.44

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*5.0%

Achieving A*–A16.3%

Achieving A*–B36.9%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate93.3%

A-level subjects offered17

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.35

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate100.00%

2023

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate96.20%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate96.0%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

21 January 2025

Inspection Report

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09 November 2023

Inspection Report

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27 April 2022

Inspection Report

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20 June 2018

Inspection Report

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20 November 2014

Inspection Report

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15 January 2013

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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15 November 2011

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2025-01-21

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2 EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Inadequate

Behaviour

Inadequate

Development

Requires improvement

Leadership

Inadequate

2022-04-27

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Good

Behaviour

Requires improvement

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2018-06-20

S5 Inspection Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2014-11-20

None Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

9.5%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

5.6%(72 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,296 pupils. During this period, there were 123 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 9.5%, which is above the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,296	123	9.5%	7.3%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,284	109	8.5%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,370	85	6.2%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,424	179	12.6%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,444	226	15.7%	8.2%	1
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,460	165	11.3%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,469	131	8.9%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,473	61	4.1%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,490	34	2.3%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,506	30	2.0%	4.9%	1
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,505	28	1.9%	4.4%	1
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,511	20	1.3%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,500	5	0.3%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,494	21	1.4%	3.9%	1
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,463	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,463	27	1.8%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,459	36	2.5%	4.2%	3
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,437	32	2.2%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,448	21	1.5%	3.8%	3
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,445	26	1.8%	3.8%	1
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,449	33	2.3%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,459	31	2.1%	3.0%	3
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,460	33	2.3%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,431	14	1.0%	3.0%	1
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,456	16	1.1%	3.3%	1
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,468	11	0.7%	3.1%	2

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 71 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 66 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 26 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 19 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 8 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 5 pupils

Visual Impairment 2 pupils

Physical Disability 2 pupils

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Shire Oak Academy

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Walsall

Queen Mary's Grammar School

Queen Mary's High School

Barr Beacon School

St Francis of Assisi Catholic College

Aldridge School - A Science College

Walsall Academy