Willenhall E-ACT Academy
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Willenhall E-ACT Academy is a sponsored academy in Willenhall for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,106 pupils, 156 more than it has places for. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 15 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Furzebank Way, Willenhall, WV12 4BD01902 368221willenhallacademy.e-act.org.ukMs Emma Clements interim principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 May 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
169 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 169 | 178 | 138 | 165 | 165 | 223 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 34.7 | 33.3 | 32.7 | 35.4 | 33.6 | 36.8 | 43.6 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.82 | -0.82 | -0.77 | -0.72 | -0.62 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 20% | 20% | 17% | 23% | 18% | 27% | 39% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 36% | 33% | 38% | 48% | 44% | 48% | 57% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.69 | 2.71 | 2.54 | 2.98 | 2.86 | 2.87 | 3.82 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 6% | 12% | 10% | 19% | 37% | 4% | 35% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 27.1 | 23.8 | 26.5 | 29.8 | 27.5 | 27.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 39.2 | 41.5 | 38.9 | 40.4 | 38.2 | 44.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 19.1 | 20.9 | 24.6 | 19.3 | 20.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 59.3 | 43.6 | 61.1 | 46.4 | 51.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 12 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 (13% here, 50% across England), Statistics (15% here, 51% across England), Mathematics (22% here, 53% across England), Geography (22% here, 51% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 167 | 11% | 36% | 58% | 54% | 2,787 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 167 | 2% | 12% | 32% | 36% | 2,929 of 3,084 |
| Statistics | 166 | 2% | 15% | 28% | 51% | 347 of 375 |
| Mathematics | 166 | 5% | 22% | 40% | 53% | 3,144 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 162 | 9% | 33% | 55% | 58% | 2,963 of 3,202 |
| Geography | 73 | 8% | 22% | 29% | 51% | 2,921 of 3,116 |
| History | 59 | 3% | 25% | 41% | 52% | 2,931 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 57 | 9% | 49% | 77% | 58% | 1,885 of 2,818 |
| Design & Technology | 30 | 0% | 13% | 30% | 50% | 1,402 of 1,478 |
| Religious Studies | 24 | 13% | 58% | 71% | 60% | 1,063 of 1,825 |
| French | 19 | 0% | 37% | 53% | 60% | – |
| Drama | 11 | 18% | 73% | 73% | 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.
A level and sixth-form results, 2018
53 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 53 | 167 | 164 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 27.18 | 20.30 | 14.36 |
| Average A level grade | C- | D | E+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 30.91 | – | 29.33 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 9% | – | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.02 | +0.02 | -0.42 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 92% | 100% | – |
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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
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
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
285 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 25% since 2021/22.
How places were given out for September 2026. 181 families put it down as their first choice and 181 of them got in (100%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 180 | 181 | 323 | 240 | 100% | – | LA |
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (109), Moderate learning difficulty (108), Autistic spectrum disorder (51), language and communications needs (11), Specific learning difficulty (9), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,106 | 1,057 | 1,009 | 909 | 842 | 826 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 50% | 48% | 45% | 46% | 44% | 41% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 21% | 20% | 18% | 16% | 16% | 14% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 23% | 22% | 20% | 20% | 15% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.8% | 12.0% | 12.9% | 14.0% | 9.9% | 7.1% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 2.1% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 2.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 6.6% | 9.0% | 9.4% | 9.9% | 8.0% | 4.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 28.2% | 37.4% | 35.2% | 41.8% | 29.3% | 18.6% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 49.6 | 55.5 | 26.7 | 22.8 | 14.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 138 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 72%, compared with 88% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 80% | 85% | 80% | 93% |
| Education | 77% | 80% | 74% | 85% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
| Work | 1% | 1% | 3% | 5% |
| Not in education, work or training | 13% | 9% | 13% | 5% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloxwich Academy | Academy | 0.9 miles | 1,383 | Report card 2026 | 4 | Compare |
| Pool Hayes Academy | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,162 | Good 2022 | 23 | Compare |
| West Walsall E-ACT Academy | Academy | 1.3 miles | 1,186 | Good 2023 | 45 | Compare |
| Coppice Performing Arts School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 989 | Good 2022 | 22 | Compare |
| Wednesfield Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,025 | No overall grade 2025 | 47 | Compare |
| St Thomas More Catholic School, Willenhall | Roman Catholic | 2.1 miles | 1,464 | Good 2022 | 21 | Compare |
| Walsall Academy | Academy | 2.1 miles | 1,423 | Report card 2026 | 50 | Compare |
| Jennie Lee Centre | Miscellaneous | 2.1 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Willenhall E-ACT 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.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Willenhall E-ACT Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St James Academy | Academy | 6.5 miles | 867 | Good 2024 | 27 | Compare |
| The Link Academy | Academy | 7.7 miles | 1,013 | Report card 2026 | 35 | Compare |
| Hodge Hill College | Council | 11.0 miles | 1,193 | Report card 2025 | 40 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 15 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 15% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 11 to 20. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.30 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 169 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 1.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.30 | DfE progress measure; 169 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.09 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.05 | 2024/25; 1,183 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.06 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 169 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.10 | 138 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Willenhall E-ACT Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Willenhall E-ACT Academy scores 15 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 11 to 20, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Willenhall E-ACT Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Willenhall E-ACT Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 13 May 2025.
How good are Willenhall E-ACT 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 34.7, 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 Willenhall E-ACT Academy have?
1,106 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 950 places, so it is 116% full.
Is Willenhall E-ACT Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 285 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Willenhall E-ACT Academy?
Pupils were in school 91.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 28% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Willenhall E-ACT Academy?
The average class had 26.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 15% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Willenhall E-ACT Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2018 was C-.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Furzebank Way, Willenhall, WV12 4BD
- Telephone
- 01902 368221
- Website
- willenhallacademy.e-act.org.uk
- Interim Principal
- Ms Emma Clements
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- E-Act (37 schools)
- Local authority
- Walsall
- Ward
- Short Heath
- Constituency
- Wolverhampton North East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2012 (new provision)
- URN
- 137706 · LAESTAB 3354002 · UKPRN 10036070
- Formerly
- Willenhall School Sports College
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Walsall council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.