Ridgewood High School

Ridgewood High School has shown significant improvements since its last inspection, moving from a previous grade of Requires Improvement to a current rating of Good. Leaders are committed to providing a caring and inclusive environment, which is positively impacting students' happiness and safety. The curriculum has been refined, and there is a strong focus on raising aspirations through a well-structured careers programme. While the school demonstrates solid leadership and management, some inconsistencies in curriculum implementation and teacher assessments remain a concern that needs to be addressed.

Strengths

• Caring and inclusive school environment
• Strong support systems for pupils
• Effective refinement of the curriculum
• Broad curriculum offering with a wide choice of options
• Ambitious leadership with high expectations for pupils
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff
• Strong careers programme linked to local providers
• Effective engagement with parents of pupils with SEND

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent identification and addressing of pupils' misconceptions
• Some subjects lack precise checks on pupils' understanding
• Inconsistencies in the implementation of behaviour management strategies
• Leaders' checks on curriculum developments are not systematic enough

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 Ridgewood High School attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.1% 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, 8.6% of pupils at Ridgewood High School 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 Ridgewood High School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.0% 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, 19.7% of pupils at Ridgewood High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% 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 Ridgewood High School received £7,878 and spent £8,418 for each of its 605 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £328,000 (-£541 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Stour Vale Academy Trust, income was £7,406 and spending £7,402 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 Stourbridge · Dudley local authority: places and applications

Ridgewood High School is part of Stour Vale Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Redhill School Stourbridge
• The Wordsley School Stourbridge
• Huntingtree Primary School Halesowen
• Northfield Road Primary School Dudley
• The Earls High School Halesowen
• Olive Hill Primary Academy Halesowen
• Queen Victoria Primary School Dudley
• Oldbury Academy Oldbury
• Newtown Primary School West Bromwich
• Holywell Primary and Nursery School Birmingham

What is Ridgewood High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ridgewood High School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Ridgewood High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ridgewood High School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Ridgewood High School have?

Ridgewood High School has 641 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ridgewood High School cover?

Ridgewood High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ridgewood High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.0, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ridgewood High School?

Ridgewood High School is at Park Road West, Wollaston, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 3NQ.