Q3 Academy Tipton

Q3 Academy Tipton is a large 11–19 academy within the Mercian Trust and has had a new headteacher since January 2023. Inspectors found a school that has improved markedly since its previous inspection: pupils feel safe, supported and heard, behaviour is respectful and calm, and expectations are high for all pupils, including those with SEND. Current pupils are achieving more positively than published outcomes suggest, although outcomes at the end of Year 11 and Year 13 do not yet reflect the recent changes. Strengths include an ambitious, coherent and carefully sequenced curriculum, consistent teaching routines, strong reading support, and improved SEND identification and referral. Personal development, careers guidance, attendance and governance are also notable strengths, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders are committed, and staff generally feel that workload and wellbeing are considered. Two main areas need further work. Support for pupils with SEND is not consistently adapted across subjects, so some pupils are not supported as well as they could be. Teachers also do not consistently use the school’s end-of-lesson checks to identify pupils who have missed learning or misunderstood content, meaning some do not get timely help.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, supported and heard
• Pupils behave with respect and consideration
• High expectations are set for all pupils, including those with SEND
• The curriculum is ambitious, coherent and carefully sequenced
• Teaching routines are consistent and support accessible learning
• Current pupils are achieving more positively than published outcomes indicate
• Reading is central to the curriculum and targeted support helps pupils progress rapidly
• The behaviour policy is applied consistently and creates a calm environment
• Attendance is a high priority and leaders act effectively on poorer attendance
• Personal development is a priority and pupils learn to respect diversity
• Careers guidance is very well designed from Year 7 onwards
• Leaders are committed and staff generally feel workload and wellbeing are considered
• Governance and trust collaboration are effective
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Support for pupils with SEND is not consistently adapted across subjects
• Teachers do not consistently use end-of-lesson checks to identify missed or misunderstood learning
• Published outcomes at the end of Year 11 and Year 13 do not yet reflect recent 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 Q3 Academy Tipton attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.1% 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, 7.6% of pupils at Q3 Academy Tipton were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Q3 Academy Tipton had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 10.7% of pupils at Q3 Academy Tipton were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.0% 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 Q3 Academy Tipton received £8,600 and spent £8,070 for each of its 1,572 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,606,000 (£1,022 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of The Mercian Trust, income was £8,095 and spending £8,003 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 Tipton · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

Q3 Academy Tipton is part of The Mercian Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Q3 Academy Langley Oldbury
• Walsall Studio School Walsall
• Q3 Academy Great Barr Birmingham
• Queen Mary's Grammar School Walsall
• Queen Mary's High School Walsall
• Rushall Primary School Walsall
• Aldridge School - A Science College Walsall
• Oakwood School Walsall
• Shire Oak Academy Walsall

What is Q3 Academy Tipton's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Q3 Academy Tipton is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Q3 Academy Tipton last inspected by Ofsted?

Q3 Academy Tipton was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Q3 Academy Tipton have?

Q3 Academy Tipton has 1,563 pupils on roll.

What age range does Q3 Academy Tipton cover?

Q3 Academy Tipton for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Q3 Academy Tipton's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 34.1, and 14% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Q3 Academy Tipton?

Q3 Academy Tipton is at Alexandra Road, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 7NR.