Shireland Collegiate Academy

Shireland Collegiate Academy is a caring, high-expectation school where pupils feel happy and safe and behaviour is exemplary. Inspectors found a strong community ethos, respectful relationships and exceptionally high attendance. Pupils benefit from a highly ambitious curriculum, and most achieve well, including pupils with SEND. Personal development and sixth-form provision are particular strengths: pupils receive extensive careers, enrichment and leadership opportunities, and sixth-form students make an exceptional contribution to younger pupils. Safeguarding is effective, and leaders and trustees understand the local context and support staff well. Leaders have managed significant change since the last inspection, including a new principal and changes to senior, subject and pastoral leadership. The curriculum is well sequenced and broad, and pupils welcome additions such as a third modern foreign language. However, in a small number of subjects, recent developments have not yet led to improved outcomes by the end of key stage 4. Across some subjects, teachers do not routinely check pupils’ understanding carefully enough, so misconceptions and gaps in knowledge can persist. Reading support is in place and improving, but the full range of strategies is not yet embedded. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013; under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development and sixth-form provision were judged outstanding, while quality of education and leadership and management were good.

Strengths

• Respectful, caring and supportive relationships are central to school life.
• Pupils feel happy and safe, and poor behaviour is rare.
• Behaviour is exemplary, with high focus and engagement in learning.
• The school sets very high academic and wider-development expectations.
• Most pupils achieve well, including pupils with SEND.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious and well sequenced.
• Pupils have a broad choice of subjects, including a third modern foreign language.
• Sixth-form provision is outstanding, with ambitious learning and strong destinations.
• Sixth-form students make an exceptional contribution to supporting younger pupils.
• Pupils receive extensive employment, cultural and leadership experiences.
• The school is a ‘school of sanctuary’ and supports new arrivals exceptionally well.
• SEND is identified quickly and pupil passports are used effectively.
• Attendance is exceptionally high.
• Personal development is a strength, with comprehensive careers and PSHE provision.
• Leaders understand the local context, and trust accountability and safeguarding are strong.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not consistently check pupils’ understanding and recall in some subjects.
• Some teachers lack a detailed enough understanding of what pupils already know, so misconceptions and gaps can persist.
• In a small number of subjects, recent curriculum changes have not yet improved key stage 4 outcomes.
• Reading support strategies are not yet fully embedded across the school, although effective action is underway.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Shireland Collegiate Academy attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.3% of pupils at Shireland Collegiate Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Shireland Collegiate Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.2% of pupils at Shireland Collegiate Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Shireland Collegiate Academy received £9,140 and spent £8,634 for each of its 1,524 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £600,000 (£394 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, income was £8,510 and spending £8,348 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Smethwick · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

Shireland Collegiate Academy is part of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Shireland Technology Primary Smethwick
• Lightwoods Primary Academy Oldbury, Sandwell
• West Bromwich Collegiate Academy West Bromwich
• Shireland CBSO Academy West Bromwich
• Shireland Biomedical Utc West Bromwich
• Newfield Park Primary Academy Halesowen
• Tameside Primary Academy Wednesbury
• Holyhead Primary Academy Wednesbury
• Wallbrook Primary Academy Bilston
• Thorns Collegiate Academy Brierley Hill

What is Shireland Collegiate Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shireland Collegiate Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Shireland Collegiate Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Shireland Collegiate Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Shireland Collegiate Academy have?

Shireland Collegiate Academy has 1,585 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shireland Collegiate Academy cover?

Shireland Collegiate Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Shireland Collegiate Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.7, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Shireland Collegiate Academy?

Shireland Collegiate Academy is at Waterloo Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 4ND.