Pool Hayes Academy

Pool Hayes Academy is a school where most core areas are judged to meet the expected standard, but pupil achievement is the clear weak spot. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils say they feel safe and have trusted adults to turn to. Leaders have a clear and reflective vision, the trust provides an effective balance of challenge and support, and staff generally feel well supported. Inclusion, personal development, pastoral care, careers education and post-16 provision are all coherent and generally effective, with sixth-form students acting as strong role models. The main concern is achievement. Published key stage 4 outcomes in attainment and progress are below national averages across a range of subjects, and A-level average point scores and value added are also below national averages. Recent improvements in curriculum and teaching are beginning to show in pupils’ work, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, but these improvements are not yet reflected securely in national examinations. Teaching implementation varies, strategies to close gaps are not always precise, and pupils are sometimes moved on before they are ready. The school is part of Academy Transformation Trust and serves a community with above-average free school meals eligibility. It has a specially resourced provision for eight pupils and uses three alternative providers. Leaders are working to improve attendance and behaviour, and relationships with families and primary schools are strengthening, though some parents and carers still have concerns. Overall, the school is stable and improving in most areas, but raising achievement consistently remains the key priority.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils feeling safe.
• Leaders manage attendance well and have improved attendance for disadvantaged pupils.
• Behaviour expectations are clear and typically create calm, orderly lessons.
• Curriculum and teaching are generally well delivered, with clear explanations and strong vocabulary modelling.
• Inclusion is well developed, with effective identification of needs and a holistic team around the child approach.
• The strategy for disadvantaged pupils is carefully planned and funding is used effectively.
• Leaders are reflective and focused on improving opportunities for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Staff feel supported in their development and appreciate leaders’ consideration of workload.
• Personal development, pastoral care and enrichment are coherent and accessible to all pupils.
• Careers education is effective and impartial, preparing pupils for future education, employment or training.
• Post-16 lessons are effective, built on positive relationships and high expectations.
• Sixth-form students are exemplary role models and contribute positively to school life.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement is the weakest area, with key stage 4 attainment and progress below national averages across a range of subjects.
• A-level average point scores and value added are below national averages.
• Teaching implementation varies, and strategies to address gaps are not consistently precise.
• Pupils are sometimes moved on to new learning before they are ready.
• Engagement and attitudes to learning vary in some lessons, and disruptions interrupt some learning.
• Pupils’ knowledge of previously taught personal development topics is not embedded for all.
• Numeracy strategies are less well embedded than literacy strategies.
• Leaders’ actions are not yet having an evident impact in all areas, and initiatives could be more precise.
• Persistent absence remains above the national average.
• Some parents and carers have concerns about the school.

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 Pool Hayes Academy attended 90.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.4% 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, 13.0% of pupils at Pool Hayes 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 Pool Hayes Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 15.0% of pupils at Pool Hayes Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 Pool Hayes Academy received £8,519 and spent £7,757 for each of its 1,152 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £205,000 (£178 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Academy Transformation Trust, income was £9,055 and spending £8,540 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 Willenhall · Walsall local authority: places and applications

Pool Hayes Academy is part of Academy Transformation Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Jubilee Academy Mossley Walsall
• Phoenix Academy Walsall
• North Walsall Primary Academy Walsall
• Caldmore Primary Academy Walsall
• Bristnall Hall Academy Oldbury
• The Queen Elizabeth Academy Atherstone
• Sun Academy Bradwell Newcastle-Under-Lyme
• Star Academy, Sandyford Stoke-On-Trent
• Sutton Community Academy Sutton-In-Ashfield
• The Dukeries Academy Newark

What is Pool Hayes Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pool Hayes Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Pool Hayes Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Pool Hayes Academy was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Pool Hayes Academy have?

Pool Hayes Academy has 1,162 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pool Hayes Academy cover?

Pool Hayes Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Pool Hayes Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.8, and 23% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Pool Hayes Academy?

Pool Hayes Academy is at Castle Drive, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV12 4QZ.