Ormiston Forge Academy

Ormiston Forge Academy is performing well, effectively maintaining the standards established in its last inspection. The school promotes an inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and respected, fostering positive relationships among students and staff. The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced, with significant developments noted in the sixth form, where students express high satisfaction with their learning experiences and opportunities. However, some subjects still show inconsistent improvement in outcomes, particularly by the end of key stage 4, and attendance rates indicate that certain pupils are missing too much school.

Strengths

• Warm and respectful relationships between pupils and staff
• High aspirations shared among staff and pupils
• Effective personal development and well-being support for pupils
• Strong curriculum development in the sixth form
• Positive atmosphere that fosters good learning attitudes
• Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND
• Comprehensive careers guidance for students

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent improvement in outcomes across subjects
• Attendance issues among some pupils, including disadvantaged and SEND students
• Reading support not fully embedded in school culture

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 Ormiston Forge Academy attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.3% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Ormiston Forge Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Ormiston Forge Academy had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.4% 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, 11.6% of pupils at Ormiston Forge Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% 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 Ormiston Forge Academy received £8,418 and spent £8,180 for each of its 1,694 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,280,000 (£755 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of Ormiston Academies Trust, income was £8,888 and spending £8,698 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 Cradley Heath · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

Ormiston Forge Academy is part of Ormiston Academies Trust, which runs 41 schools. The nearest others:

• Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy Oldbury
• George Salter Academy West Bromwich
• Wodensborough Ormiston Academy Wednesbury
• Ormiston SWB Academy Bilston
• Ormiston NEW Academy Wolverhampton
• Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy Walsall
• Brownhills Ormiston Academy Walsall
• Tenbury High Ormiston Academy Tenbury Wells
• Ormiston Meridian Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is Ormiston Forge Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ormiston Forge Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Ormiston Forge Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ormiston Forge Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Ormiston Forge Academy have?

Ormiston Forge Academy has 1,643 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ormiston Forge Academy cover?

Ormiston Forge Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ormiston Forge Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.1, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ormiston Forge Academy?

Ormiston Forge Academy is at Wrights Lane, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 6QU.