West Walsall E-ACT Academy

West Walsall E-ACT Academy is performing well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection in 2017. The school is characterized by a positive sense of community, where students feel happy and safe, and leaders are dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities for all pupils. Recent curriculum changes have enriched the educational offerings, and there is a responsive approach to student needs, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The leadership team has effectively supported teaching and personal development, leading to generally positive outcomes for students.

Strengths

• Strong community spirit with warm and respectful relationships.
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that meets diverse interests.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND through tailored adaptations.
• Comprehensive personal development programs that prepare pupils for future challenges.
• Robust safeguarding arrangements ensuring pupil safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not provide adequate opportunities for deepening pupils' understanding.
• Inconsistent checking of pupils' prior knowledge leading to persistent gaps.

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 West Walsall E-ACT Academy attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.7% 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, 12.9% of pupils at West Walsall E-ACT Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 West Walsall E-ACT Academy had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.2% 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, 13.1% of pupils at West Walsall E-ACT Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% 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 West Walsall E-ACT Academy received £8,632 and spent £7,947 for each of its 1,195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,283,000 (£1,074 per pupil).

Across all 37 schools of E-Act, income was £8,727 and spending £8,448 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 Walsall · Walsall local authority: places and applications

West Walsall E-ACT Academy is part of E-Act, which runs 37 schools. The nearest others:

• Reedswood E-ACT Academy Walsall
• Willenhall E-ACT Academy Willenhall
• E-ACT North Birmingham Academy Birmingham
• Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy Birmingham
• E-ACT Nechells Academy Birmingham
• E-ACT Heartlands Academy Birmingham
• E-ACT Shenley Academy Birmingham
• Merritts Brook Primary E-ACT Academy Birmingham
• E-ACT The Grange School Daventry
• The Parker E-ACT Academy Daventry

What is West Walsall E-ACT Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Walsall E-ACT Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was West Walsall E-ACT Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

West Walsall E-ACT Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does West Walsall E-ACT Academy have?

West Walsall E-ACT Academy has 1,186 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Walsall E-ACT Academy cover?

West Walsall E-ACT Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are West Walsall E-ACT Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.9, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is West Walsall E-ACT Academy?

West Walsall E-ACT Academy is at Primley Avenue, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 9UA.