Woods Bank Academy

Woods Bank Academy has demonstrated a good overall performance in various domains, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school has effectively implemented significant curricular changes that have positively impacted pupil learning. Pupils are well-behaved, enjoy their education, and feel safe and valued. Notably, the pastoral care provided has been highlighted as a strong feature, with targeted support for pupils having emotional and behavioural needs, contributing to a supportive school environment. However, the early years provision requires improvement. Staff interactions with young children are not consistently effective in supporting their learning, which impacts their progress in language and communication skills. Additionally, some teachers across other year groups need to enhance their methods of checking pupil understanding and retaining knowledge. Addressing these areas will be vital for the school to build on its strengths and ensure all pupils can thrive.

Strengths

• Well-structured and ambitious curriculum
• Strong phonics and reading program
• Positive relationships among pupils and staff
• Effective pastoral care and support for emotional needs
• Pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of education
• Strong governance and support from trust
• Pupils engage in various clubs and trips that enhance learning
• High expectations for pupil behaviour

Areas for Improvement

• Early years provision requires improvement
• Inconsistent staff interactions with children in early years
• Some teachers do not check pupils’ understanding effectively
• Occasional gaps in teachers' subject knowledge affect learning

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 Woods Bank Academy attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.3% of pupils at Woods Bank Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Woods Bank Academy had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 18.2% of pupils at Woods Bank Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Woods Bank Academy received £8,625 and spent £8,396 for each of its 345 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £178,000 (£515 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, income was £7,171 and spending £7,108 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 Wednesbury · Walsall local authority: places and applications

Woods Bank Academy is part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, which runs 37 schools. The nearest others:

• Croft Academy Walsall
• Rounds Green Primary School Oldbury
• George Betts Primary Academy Smethwick
• Rowley Hall Primary School Rowley Regis
• Netherbrook Primary School Dudley
• Shireland Hall Primary Academy Smethwick
• Kings Rise Academy Birmingham
• Harborne Primary School Birmingham
• Chandos Primary School Birmingham
• Tiverton Academy Birmingham

What is Woods Bank Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woods Bank Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Woods Bank Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Woods Bank Academy was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Woods Bank Academy have?

Woods Bank Academy has 303 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woods Bank Academy cover?

Woods Bank Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Woods Bank Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Woods Bank Academy?

Woods Bank Academy is at Rough Hay Road, Darlaston, Wednesbury, West Midlands, WS10 8NQ.