The Link Academy

The Link Academy is an ambitious and inclusive school where pupils flourish. Inspectors found strong standards in attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils are well behaved, respectful and feel safe; attendance is high, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The school has a detailed understanding of pupils' needs and provides effective support, particularly for vulnerable groups, and pupils are well prepared for their next steps. The curriculum and teaching are of the expected standard, with a well-designed and ambitious curriculum delivered typically well. However, teaching is not consistently precise in checking understanding to adapt to learning gaps. Achievement is also at the expected standard: pupils achieve in line with national peers in many subjects, though overall attainment remains below national averages in English and maths and Attainment 8, and disadvantaged pupils have a large attainment gap. The main next step is to ensure highly effective teaching is embedded in every subject, with assessment used precisely to identify what and how to teach.

Strengths

• Leaders have created effective systems to improve attendance, resulting in high attendance for most pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and behaviour is calm and orderly, with positive relationships and respect for diversity.
• Pupils with SEND are accurately and swiftly identified, and teachers use detailed information well to address barriers to learning.
• The school has highly effective partnerships with parents, carers and external agencies, including home visits and family support.
• Provision for looked-after children is highly personalised and effectively meets their academic and emotional needs.
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit fully from the school's provision and achieve well, attend regularly and take part in enriching experiences.
• Leaders at all levels are highly ambitious and have a precise understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development.
• Governance is effective, providing robust support and challenge, and the trust provides excellent support in curriculum, teaching and safeguarding.
• Staff feel valued and well supported with workload and wellbeing, and receive high-quality professional development.
• The personal development programme is very well thought out and prepares pupils well for their next steps, including for pupils with SEND.
• Careers provision is a positive feature, with an extensive range of experiences that help pupils understand their options.
• The school provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to learn about fundamental British values and equality, creating a harmonious community.

Areas for Improvement

• In some lessons, teachers do not check pupils' understanding precisely enough to adapt their teaching to address learning gaps.
• Overall attainment in English and maths GCSE and Attainment 8 remains below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment gap compared to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally is large, particularly in English and maths.
• Persistent absence and overall absence rates are above national averages, despite improvements.

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 The Link Academy attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.1% 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, 8.4% of pupils at The Link Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 The Link Academy had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.7% 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, 17.4% of pupils at The Link Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.3% 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 The Link Academy received £9,163 and spent £8,844 for each of its 1,026 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £495,000 (£483 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Dudley Academies Trust, income was £8,942 and spending £8,862 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 Dudley · Dudley local authority: places and applications

The Link Academy is part of Dudley Academies Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Blowers Green Primary School Dudley
• Pegasus Academy Dudley
• Kates Hill Primary School Dudley
• St James Academy Dudley
• The Old Park School Brierley Hill
• Beacon Hill Academy Dudley
• Greenfield Primary School Stourbridge

What is The Link Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Link Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The Link Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Link Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The Link Academy have?

The Link Academy has 1,013 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Link Academy cover?

The Link Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Link Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.2, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Link Academy?

The Link Academy is at Simms Lane, Netherton, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 0PB.