School Chooser

Shrewsbury Academy

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademy817 pupilsShrewsburyShropshire
School Chooser Score
6
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 4 to 9
Out of 100. Better than 12% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedRequires improvementLast Ofsted inspection, January 2024
Strong pass in English and maths20%England 46%
Attendance91.4%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places368 spare817 pupils, 1,185 places
Pupils per teacher15.7School workforce census

Shrewsbury Academy is a converter academy in Shrewsbury for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 817 pupils and room for 1,185. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 6 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 12% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2024.

Corndon Crescent, Shrewsbury, SY1 4LL01743 276700shrewsburyacademy.co.ukMr Jim Taylor headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 23 January 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Requires improvement overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Requires improvement
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Requires improvement
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

118 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score33.2
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths20%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths38%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.55In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 35.535.520182019: 36.136.120192022: 37.937.920222023: 32.132.120232024: 37.237.220242025: 33.233.22025
Since 2018: -2.3Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†2018†ShropshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11118169164147157138
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 833.237.232.137.936.135.543.146.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.55-0.99-0.71-0.91-0.77
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths20%29%16%20%19%16%37%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths38%45%36%53%43%42%60%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.783.272.903.443.112.863.764.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry8%19%12%54%7%8%33%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged24.627.624.432.430.828.8
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged38.841.935.739.739.840.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers21.521.226.917.522.9
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers54.051.856.349.848.5

† These results are for Shrewsbury Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Design & Technology (0% here, 50% across England), English Literature (21% here, 58% across England), English Language (21% here, 54% across England), Art and Design (31% here, 58% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science.
LanguagesSpanish8

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics114 entries · 19th of 20 in Shropshire
33%England 53%
English Literature114 entries · 20th of 20 in Shropshire
21%England 58%
English Language114 entries · 20th of 20 in Shropshire
21%England 54%
Combined Science99 entries · 20th of 20 in Shropshire
12%England 36%
History52 entries · 20th of 20 in Shropshire
27%England 52%
Art and Design51 entries · 18th of 19 in Shropshire
31%England 58%
Geography49 entries · 17th of 19 in Shropshire
35%England 51%
Food Preparation & Nutrition30 entries · 7th of 16 in Shropshire
50%England 52%
0%England 50%
Chemistry14 entries
79%England 81%
Biology14 entries
86%England 82%
Physics14 entries
57%England 82%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics1145%33%50%53%2,876 of 3,211
English Literature1142%21%42%58%3,174 of 3,202
English Language1144%21%37%54%3,173 of 3,210
Combined Science991%12%25%36%2,927 of 3,084
History5215%27%39%52%2,885 of 3,126
Art and Design5114%31%51%58%2,487 of 2,818
Geography4910%35%47%51%2,413 of 3,116
Food Preparation & Nutrition3013%50%70%52%580 of 1,098
Design & Technology150%0%13%50%
Chemistry1429%79%86%81%
Biology1421%86%86%82%
Physics1414%57%79%82%
Spanish825%50%75%54%
Drama80%25%50%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
24.638.8
Gap 14.2England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
7%29%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
31.934.9
Gap 3.0England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places793 pupils for 1,185 places, 2024/25
67% full

392 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (140 offers for 237 places).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary237117232140all offeredLA
2025 Secondary237140207158all offeredLA
2024 Secondary237138246190all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll817Census January 2026
Places1,18569% full
Pupils from low-income families36%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English13%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%177 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%27 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.630 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils3%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)36%£320,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls403 / 414
White British pupils82%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (88), emotional and mental health (50), Specific learning difficulty (20), language and communications needs (17), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll817802829802779781
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals36%38%36%33%28%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language13%11%10%10%9%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%18%15%13%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance91.4%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school26.3%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils92.52024/25, 2 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.6%9.5%9.5%10.1%7.3%7.0%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.9%5.8%6.7%7.1%5.1%5.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.8%3.8%2.9%3.0%2.2%2.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence26.3%28.5%29.4%29.9%24.5%21.9%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate92.5106.581.140.329.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions22803

† These attendance figures are for Shrewsbury Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 164 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training87%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 83%, compared with 88% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training87%89%88%90%
Education76%80%76%83%
Apprenticeship3%4%4%3%
Work8%5%9%4%
Not in education, work or training9%7%8%7%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers51.9full-time equivalent, 54 people
Pupils per teacher15.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,674
Teachers who left in the year16%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.32024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,056England £7,965. Total £6.5m
Income per pupil£8,630England £8,423. Total £6.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,590England £4,444
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £769k, £959 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£460kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,056spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m30012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate79 per 1,000 people14% lower than the England average
Typical house price£275,000Shropshire

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Belvidere SchoolAcademy1.5 miles830No overall grade 202513Compare
The Priory SchoolAcademy3.1 miles852Good 202378Compare
Meole Brace SchoolAcademy3.3 miles1,316Good 202443Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Shrewsbury Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats12%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 6 is 22 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 28 · highest 88100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 6 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 6% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 9. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%well below
-0.24
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 118 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.19
DfE progress measure; 118 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.08
2024/25; 844 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 118 pupils
What pupils do next5%below
-0.04
164 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Shrewsbury Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Shrewsbury Academy scores 6 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 12% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 9, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Shrewsbury Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Shrewsbury Academy requires improvement at its last full inspection on 23 January 2024.

How good are Shrewsbury Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 20% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 33.2, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Shrewsbury Academy have?

817 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,185 places, so it is 69% full.

Is Shrewsbury Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 392 places were empty in 2024/25 (33% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Shrewsbury Academy?

Pupils were in school 91.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Shrewsbury Academy?

The average class had 23.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 3% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Shrewsbury Academy have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 87% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Corndon Crescent, Shrewsbury, SY1 4LL
Telephone
01743 276700
Website
www.shrewsburyacademy.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Jim Taylor
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Marches Academy Trust (18 schools)
Local authority
Shropshire
Ward
Sundorne & Old Heath
Constituency
Shrewsbury
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2019 (fresh start)
URN
147540 · LAESTAB 8934004 · UKPRN 10084320
Formerly
Shrewsbury Academy

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from