Smestow Academy

Smestow Academy is performing well overall after a period of significant improvement since it opened in January 2023 as part of Matrix Academy Trust. Inspectors found a happy, respectful and safe school where pupils behave very well, attendance is in line with national averages and higher for disadvantaged pupils, and suspensions have fallen significantly. Leadership and governance are strong, staff well-being and development are prioritised, and the personal development programme is thoughtfully designed and relevant to pupils. The school is meeting expected standards in achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion and post-16 provision, with notable strengths in careers education, enrichment and support for pupils with SEND and early-stage English learners. Pupils learn the curriculum well, overall progress including for disadvantaged pupils is better than national averages, reading support is effective, and sixth-form students are progressing well from their starting points. There are still areas to develop. Staff are less clear about the specific barriers some disadvantaged pupils face in lessons, writing and speaking skills are not developed as consistently as reading, and teaching adaptations, including in-the-moment adjustments, are not yet consistent across the school. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Pupils behave very well in lessons, at social times and around the school.
• Leaders have created a culture of high expectations that pupils willingly meet.
• Suspensions have reduced significantly over the last year.
• Attendance is in line with national averages and higher for disadvantaged pupils.
• Attendance work for pupils with SEND has been particularly effective.
• New trust and school leaders quickly identified priorities and drove significant progress.
• Governance provides robust challenge and meaningful support.
• Staff well-being and professional development are prioritised.
• The personal development programme is thoughtfully designed and relevant to pupils.
• Pupils are knowledgeable about healthy relationships, online safety and mental health.
• Pupils have a wide range of enrichment opportunities in arts, sport and university links.
• Careers education is highly effective and prepares pupils well for next steps.
• Pupils learn the curriculum well and gaps in knowledge are addressed.
• Overall progress, including for disadvantaged pupils, is better than national averages.
• Effective support helps pupils who are not yet fluent readers.
• Sixth-form students achieve well and progress in line with national averages.
• Most pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and early-stage English learners are supported well.
• Pupils feel safe and are confident that concerns will be taken seriously.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and produce good-quality work.
• Many pupils take on leadership roles and contribute to the school and wider community.

Areas for Improvement

• Staff are less clear about the specific support some disadvantaged pupils need in lessons.
• Writing and speaking skills are not developed as consistently as reading across the curriculum.
• Teaching adaptations and in-the-moment adjustments are not consistent across the school.
• Some pupils do not deepen their thinking or apply their learning as well as they could because of weaker writing and speaking focus.

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 Smestow Academy attended 91.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.7% 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, 13.4% of pupils at Smestow 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 Smestow Academy had 13.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% 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, 11.4% of pupils at Smestow Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.4% 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 Smestow Academy received £9,863 and spent £10,492 for each of its 552 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,135,000 (£2,055 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Matrix Academy Trust, income was £8,375 and spending £9,033 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 Wolverhampton · Wolverhampton local authority: places and applications

Smestow Academy is part of Matrix Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Wednesfield Academy Wolverhampton
• Pool Hayes Primary School Willenhall
• Bloxwich Academy Walsall
• Elmwood School Walsall
• Barr Beacon School Walsall
• Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School Birmingham
• Turves Green Boys' School Birmingham
• Etone College Nuneaton

What is Smestow Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Smestow Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Smestow Academy was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Smestow Academy have?

Smestow Academy has 589 pupils on roll.

What age range does Smestow Academy cover?

Smestow Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Smestow Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.6, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Smestow Academy?

Smestow Academy is at Windmill Crescent, Wolverhampton, WV3 8HU.