Moseley Park Review 2026: Ambitious 11 to 18 academy with a large sixth form pathway

Moseley Park is a mixed 11 to 18 secondary in Bilston that pairs a strongly structured school day with a clear emphasis on behaviour, routines, and academic aspiration. Leadership sits within the Central Learning Partnership Trust, and the school’s published governance information lists Mrs Georgetta Holloway OBE as Executive Headteacher, with her term shown as starting on 30 August 2021.

The most recent Ofsted activity was an ungraded inspection on 30 and 31 January 2024; the overall judgement remained Outstanding, but the report also signalled that the school’s grade might be lower if a graded inspection were carried out now.

For families, the practical question is fit. This is a school that expects pupils to work hard and conform to clear standards, and it attracts significant demand for Year 7 places. In the latest admissions data available here, 494 applications were recorded for 197 offers, so competition is real even without a published distance cut off.

The tone is best understood as purposeful and organised. The school day is tightly framed around form time, four taught periods, and defined break and lunch windows, with pupils expected on site by 8:45am. That structure matters because it creates consistency across years, and it also sets expectations early for pupils who need routines to thrive.

A second defining feature is the way the school talks about aspiration. The 2024 inspection report describes an ambitious culture where pupils are expected to work hard, and it also points to a strong emphasis on values and respectful relationships between pupils and staff. In practice, parents should expect a school that places a premium on calm movement around site, resilience in lessons, and pupils asking for support when needed, rather than coasting.

The trust context is not just background. The 2024 report states that Moseley Park is part of Central Learning Partnership Trust, with trust level oversight and shared responsibility for running the school. This matters for families because behaviour policies, curriculum approaches, and post 16 planning can be shaped by a wider partnership rather than being designed in isolation.

At GCSE, the school’s outcomes sit below England average on the headline comparative measures available here, despite a positive Progress 8 figure. Attainment 8 is 46, and Progress 8 is +0.28, indicating students make above average progress from their starting points even if overall attainment is not as strong as many higher performing schools.

Rankings here are FindMySchool rankings based on official data. Moseley Park is ranked 2nd locally within the Bilston area for GCSE outcomes, and 2,943rd in England. That position places it below England average, within the bottom 40% of ranked schools in England.

The Ebacc picture is mixed. The average Ebacc APS is 3.22 compared with an England average of 4.08, while 60% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the Ebacc elements available here. For parents, the implication is that English and maths progress may be strong for many students, but families should examine subject level patterns, option uptake, and how the curriculum is supporting higher outcomes consistently across academic subjects, which is also a theme raised in the latest inspection report.

At A level, the available grade distribution points to outcomes that are also below typical England averages. A* sits at 0.88%, A at 7.96%, B at 15.93%, and A* to B at 24.78%, compared with an England benchmark of 47.2% for A* to B and 23.6% for A* to A.

Rankings here are again FindMySchool rankings based on official data. For A level outcomes, the school is ranked 2,316th in England and 3rd locally within the Bilston area, which places it below England average, within the bottom 40% of ranked providers in England for this measure.

Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to view GCSE and A level outcomes side by side against nearby schools, then follow up by checking subject availability and entry expectations for the courses your child is considering.

Teaching is positioned around curriculum sequencing and routines. The latest inspection report describes an inclusive and ambitious curriculum, with subject leaders sequencing topics and identifying likely misconceptions so they can be avoided. The practical implication for pupils is that lessons are designed to build knowledge cumulatively rather than relying on ad hoc activities.

Reading and literacy are treated as enabling priorities rather than add ons. The 2024 report describes targeted reading intervention for pupils who have fallen behind, delivered by trained staff, and a mentoring strand for pupils who need confidence building, including sixth form students supporting younger pupils as part of their enrichment. For families, this is most relevant for pupils entering Year 7 with weaker reading stamina, or those who need structured catch up support without stigma.

The main development point to watch is consistency of impact across academic subjects. The same report notes that, while pupils overall are achieving well, in some academic subjects the curriculum is not yet securing the desired impact so some pupils do not reach their full potential in those subjects. Parents of high attaining pupils, or those aiming for the strongest academic pathways, should treat this as a prompt to ask targeted questions about stretch, subject outcomes, and how leaders are monitoring impact by department.

The sixth form pathway matters at Moseley Park because it shapes choices after Year 11 and it also anchors aspiration earlier in the school. The destination data available here indicates that, for the 2023/24 cohort (cohort size 88), 63% progressed to university, 5% started apprenticeships, 14% went into employment, and 3% entered further education. For families, that suggests a broad mix of routes rather than a single dominant pipeline, and it makes course selection, careers guidance, and work experience particularly important for students who are deciding between university and technical routes.

Oxbridge application and acceptance figures are not available provided here, and the school’s published pages accessible in this review do not provide a numeric Oxbridge breakdown. The sensible approach, therefore, is to focus on the measurable destinations picture above and on the school’s careers and post 16 structures.

Admissions for Year 7 sit within Wolverhampton’s coordinated process. The City of Wolverhampton Council’s published key dates for September 2026 entry list an application deadline of 31 October 2025 and an allocation day of 3 March 2026.

On the school side, Moseley Park’s admissions page also flags 31 October as the deadline, and it points families to the published oversubscription criteria set out in the admissions arrangements.

Demand is high. In the most recent demand snapshot available here, 494 applications were recorded for 197 offers, which equates to 2.51 applications per offer, and the entry route is described as oversubscribed. The practical implication is that families should assume a realistic chance of not securing a place if they are relying on a single preference, and should use all available preferences in the local authority application.

For families shortlisting on geography, the FindMySchool Map Search is a useful sense check, but there is no published last distance offered figure available provided here, so families should avoid relying on informal distance assumptions and instead read the determined arrangements and ask the local authority how distance is measured for tie breaks.

Sixth form admissions

Moseley Park’s sixth form application page sets out separate deadlines for internal and external applicants. For the 2026 entry cycle shown on the page, internal applications close on Monday 8 December 2025 and external applications close on Friday 16 January 2026. This is a concrete, parent friendly detail that often gets missed, and it is particularly important for external applicants who may be waiting on predicted grades, references, or course advice.

Pastoral support is described as integral rather than optional. The latest inspection report describes pupils feeling safe and highly valued, and it portrays a culture where pupils know there is a trusted adult to go to. For parents, the key question is not whether support exists, but how quickly concerns are triaged and how consistent support is across year groups. The presence of a defined form time each morning also matters because it creates a daily check in point.

Behaviour expectations are high and clearly framed. This can suit pupils who like order and predictability, and it can be stabilising for pupils who find looser settings distracting. It can also be challenging for pupils who need more autonomy early, or who respond better to highly flexible learning environments. Families should ask how the school balances consistency with individual needs, particularly for pupils with SEND or those who struggle with anxiety around sanctions.

The 2024 inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular life is unusually easy to pin down because the school publishes timetable style club information. On the academic and enrichment side, the extra curricular club timetable includes Homework Club, Chess Club, Reading Club, STEM, Art Club, Debate Club for Key Stage 3 at lunchtime, and a Well Being Club that is open to students and staff.

This matters for outcomes because the offer is not only sport led. Homework Club and the subject aligned clubs provide structured after school spaces for students who want quiet help with organisation, catch up, or confidence, without needing external tutoring. Debate Club and STEM are also useful signals. They suggest the school is trying to build academic identity through competitive or discussion based formats, which can be particularly valuable for pupils who do not see themselves as naturally academic.

Sport is present as a separate timetable strand, with lunchtime and after school slots including KS3 dodgeball, netball, girls football, basketball, KS4 football, and indoor football, plus a staff sports slot. The practical implication is that sport is not confined to elite teams, and there are accessible entry points for pupils who want to try activities without an intense selection culture.

Music clubs are also clearly listed, with Keyboard or Piano club, Pop Band, a Vocal Group, Pop or Rock Band, and composition and performance sessions and option groups. For students, this is a meaningful range because it caters both to beginners who need a structured first step and to confident performers who want ensemble work.

The school day is clearly set out. Pupils are expected on site by 8:45am, with form time from 8:50am to 9:05am, and the final period ending at 3:00pm for both Key Stage 3 and Key Stages 4 and 5, with differences in the placement of break and lunch.

Wraparound care is not typical at secondary level, and specific before school or after school childcare style provision is not published in the material reviewed here. Families who need supervision beyond the normal day should ask directly what is available beyond clubs and study spaces.

For travel, Bilston has tram connectivity through the West Midlands Metro, with Bilston Central described by the operator as a town centre stop with bus interchange options. Families should check current routes and timings for Holland Road and surrounding areas using the regional journey planner, as service patterns change.

• The latest inspection signalled risk. The January 2024 ungraded inspection kept the Outstanding judgement, but it also warned that the grade might not be as high if a graded inspection were carried out now. This is not a verdict on day to day experience, but it is a prompt to ask how leaders are improving consistency of outcomes across subjects.

• Exam outcomes are mixed across phases. Progress 8 is positive in the data available here, but GCSE and A level comparative measures sit below England averages, and the school’s England ranking positions place it below England average for both GCSE and A level outcomes. This can still be the right fit for many pupils, but families should look for evidence of impact in the subjects their child cares about most.

• Admission is competitive. With 494 applications for 197 offers in the latest demand snapshot available here, families should plan for more than one realistic option when submitting preferences.

• Sixth form deadlines are specific. External applicants have a stated application deadline of 16 January 2026 for the cycle shown on the school’s application page, which can come quickly after mock results and course decisions.

Moseley Park suits families who want a structured, high expectation environment with clear routines, a substantial club programme, and a straightforward pathway into post 16 study. It is particularly well matched to pupils who benefit from predictable systems and who respond well to calm, consistent standards. The main question for families is academic consistency across subjects, especially given the latest inspection signal and the below average comparative measures in the available results data.