Ormiston Forge Academy Review 2026: Large Sandwell secondary with strong personal development and a distinctive sixth form offer

Resilience, aspiration and respect are not just poster words here, they are treated as practical expectations for how students learn and behave. The academy is large, mixed, and serves 11 to 18, with a sixth form that is positioned as a genuine “next step” rather than an add-on.

Leadership continuity is a defining feature. Dr Lisa Mason is the Principal; her biography describes a long-term link to the site, including work at the predecessor school and involvement since the academy opened in 2012.

Families weighing Forge are usually balancing two realities. First, demand is real, with 429 applications for 283 offers in the most recent published intake cycle used here. Second, the day-to-day experience is shaped heavily by personal development, structured curriculum sequencing, and a large enrichment menu that ranges from Duke of Edinburgh to a student voice structure with defined leadership roles.

Scale matters. Forge is designed for throughput: a capacity of 1,950 and an 11 to 18 model means the site has to run on routines that hold up at volume. That tends to suit students who like clarity, predictable expectations, and a sense that school is “busy” in a purposeful way.

The values vocabulary is used consistently. Resilience, aspiration and respect are the named anchors; students are expected to know them and staff reference them as behavioural and learning cues, rather than as abstract ideals. Relationships are described as warm and respectful, with students able to identify trusted adults if something is wrong, a useful indicator in a school of this size.

Student leadership is structured, not tokenistic. The Student Voice Team is presented with named roles such as Chair, Enterprise Lead, Accessibility Lead, Wellbeing and Mental Health Lead, and Inclusivity and Diversity Lead. For parents, the implication is practical: there are multiple routes for students to contribute, including for those who are not drawn to “headline” leadership roles like head student.

There is also a clear community thread in the way the academy talks about place. Hingleys, a five-acre sports facility used by the academy, is described as both a sporting asset and part of local industrial heritage. Separately, the Mountain Centre in Dinas Mawddwy is positioned as an outward-bound base used across the year for outdoor pursuits, curriculum visits, and Duke of Edinburgh activity. These are the sorts of anchors that can make a large school feel more rooted and memorable to students.

Forge’s outcomes, on the available measures here, sit below England average overall. The most useful way to read this is not as a single judgement on quality, but as context for how the school is trying to shift performance through curriculum sequencing, teaching routines, and attendance improvement. The school profile is one of improvement work in motion rather than a settled “results story”.

GCSE performance context

• Attainment 8 score: 40

• Progress 8 score: -0.32 (below average progress from starting points)

• EBacc average point score: 3.29

• The academy is ranked 3,257th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 1st in Cradley Heath among the schools included in that local grouping.

This places Forge below England average overall, but as a leading option in its immediate local comparator set. Parents comparing locally should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE measures side-by-side with nearby schools, because the “best fit” is often about trajectory and support, not just headline scores.

A-level performance context

• A* rate: 2.27%

• A rate: 5.68%

• B rate: 21.59%

• A* to B rate: 29.55% (compared with an England average of 47.2% for A* to B on this measure)

• The academy is ranked 2,176th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 1st in Cradley Heath within that local grouping.

For many families, the key question is what sits behind these numbers. The most credible indicators from published evidence are: raised expectations, a more ambitious curriculum sequence, and teaching routines designed around recall, checking understanding, and closing gaps. The implication is that families should ask detailed questions at open events about which subjects have improved most recently and how intervention is targeted, especially at Key Stage 4.

Forge describes a broad, knowledge-rich curriculum model with age-related sequencing through each year. The most helpful way to interpret that phrase is operational: lessons are designed so that students revisit and build key knowledge, and teachers use assessment and retrieval to check what has stuck. This can work well for students who benefit from clear structure and frequent feedback, including those who may not yet have strong independent study habits.

Teaching routines emphasise recall at the start of lessons and adaptation when misconceptions show up. In a large school, that matters because consistency is the lever that makes a big timetable feel coherent rather than fragmented. The implication for parents is that “quality of teaching” will often be felt as predictability: students know how lessons start, what good work looks like, and how to recover if they fall behind.

Reading is treated as a priority area, with support in place for pupils who are not yet fluent. The stated next step is cultural: moving from discrete interventions to a wider reading-for-pleasure habit. If your child is a reluctant reader, this is worth probing, not as a weakness, but as a sign of where the school is focusing improvement effort.

For older students, the sixth form model has several “pathway” features that signal a more tailored approach. The Medicine Pathway, for example, sets higher entry expectations and adds structured application support (including interview and admissions test preparation, work experience support, and a student medicine society). The entry criteria listed include grade 7 thresholds in science and maths, plus additional high GCSE grades.

For schools with sixth forms, families often want two answers: what happens at 16, and what happens at 18.

At 16

Forge’s internal sixth form is a central route, with a published application process that includes interview and later confirmation of final subject choices after GCSE results. Applications for September 2026 entry were taken earlier in the cycle, with a re-opening of applications in January 2026 for those still applying.

The sixth form menu is positioned as both academic and vocational, with “over 25” A-level and vocational courses referenced in the open events information. The practical implication is that students who want a mixed programme, for example A-levels alongside applied courses, should find viable combinations, subject to option block constraints.

At 18

For the 2024 leavers cohort captured here, 49% progressed to university, 10% started apprenticeships, 14% entered employment, and 2% went to further education. These figures help parents avoid a common assumption that “sixth form = university”; Forge appears to have a spread of destinations that includes work and apprenticeships alongside higher education.

The academy also emphasises careers guidance and “next steps” preparation. In addition to general careers provision, the Law Pathway outlines enrichment tied to legal careers, including mock trial experience in a real court setting, courthouse visits to observe trials, and engagement with legal professionals. That is particularly relevant for students who are motivated by vocational clarity, not just subject enjoyment.

Oxford and Cambridge destination numbers are not published in the figures used here, so it is best to treat Forge as a school that is building structured pathways for competitive routes (medicine, law) rather than one defined by an Oxbridge pipeline.

Forge is a state-funded academy within Sandwell’s co-ordinated admissions system. Applications are made through the local authority process, using the common application route rather than applying directly to the school for Year 7.

The published admission number referenced by the academy is 310 places per year for Year 7. When applications exceed places, allocation follows the local authority’s co-ordinated criteria.

Demand and what it means in practice

For the most recent cycle reflected here, Forge recorded 429 applications and 283 offers, with an oversubscription ratio of 1.52 applications per offer. That level of competition is meaningful but not at the “near impossible” end of the spectrum seen in some urban schools. The practical implication is that preferences matter, and families should submit a well-considered list rather than relying on a single choice.

Key dates for the 2026 intake (Year 7)

Sandwell’s admissions booklet for 2026 to 2027 sets out the timeline:

• Applications for Year 7: 14 July 2025 to 31 October 2025

• National Offer Day for Year 7 in Sandwell: 2 March 2026

For parents, the simplest operational advice is to plan backwards from 31 October 2025. Open events typically run in the autumn term, and the academy’s own admissions information points families to autumn open evenings and open days. To stress-test your shortlist, it is sensible to use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your home-to-school distance and then compare that with historic allocation patterns across nearby schools, because demand can shift year to year.

Sixth form entry (Year 12)

Sixth form applications are handled directly by the academy, with interview as part of the process. For September 2026 entry, the academy notes that applications were already submitted earlier in the cycle and then re-open in January 2026 for later applicants. A learning grant of £400 is referenced for those enrolling as Year 12 students in September 2026, with the award framed as part of the post-application process.

In a large secondary, pastoral credibility is often revealed in how the school handles two areas: behaviour expectations outside lessons, and support for mental health and attendance.

Behaviour is described as generally calm in structured times, with sensible conduct at break and lunch. Where pupils struggle, staff work is framed as corrective and supportive rather than purely punitive, which matters for families whose child needs adults to persist when things go off-track.

Mental health is treated as a strategic priority. In September 2025, the academy reported achieving Bronze status for the School Mental Health Award, with the framework described as covering leadership, culture, support for pupils and staff, professional development, and work with parents and external services. For parents, the implication is not that every child will need support, but that systems exist and the topic is treated as normal rather than exceptional.

Attendance is an area the academy is still pushing on. The stated position is that absence is reducing, but too many pupils still miss school unnecessarily. For families with a child who is anxious about school or prone to “soft absence”, this is a key conversation to have early, because attendance patterns can become self-reinforcing by Key Stage 4.

Safeguarding note: The 29 and 30 April 2025 Ofsted inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Forge’s extracurricular identity is broader than the typical “sports plus a few clubs” model, and several strands stand out because they are specific.

Student leadership and social action

The Student Voice Team has breadth and role clarity. Beyond Chair and Vice Chair positions, there are leads for accessibility, wellbeing, fundraising, public relations, inclusivity and diversity, and enrichment. Students who are motivated by making change, not just collecting a badge, can find a place to contribute.

Outdoor and challenge

Duke of Edinburgh is positioned as a whole-school opportunity from Year 9, with Bronze in Year 9, Silver in Year 10, and the option to progress to Gold in sixth form. The programme is not presented as purely symbolic; it includes expedition planning with routes referenced from Himley to Arley and across the Shropshire Hills. That has a real implication for personal development: students build teamwork, planning, and persistence through a demanding shared experience.

The Mountain Centre strengthens this strand. It is described as a self-catered facility in Dinas Mawddwy, Wales, around 90 miles from Birmingham, used through the year for Duke of Edinburgh, work experience, and outdoor pursuits such as hiking, rock climbing, abseiling, caving, canoeing and mountain biking. Capacity is stated as up to 30 students and 6 staff per visit. For parents, this is a strong differentiator because it makes outdoor education repeatable rather than occasional.

Sport and performance

The enrichment list includes a wide sporting menu (from football and netball through to trampolining, boxing and hockey), plus music and performing arts options such as band, orchestra, drums, guitar, keyboard, theatre, dance, and a performance strand referenced as pantomime or musical work. There are also interest clubs that are unusually explicit for a school website, including Lego, Doctor Who, Warhammer, debates and chess, plus a STEM club.

At sixth form level, sport becomes even more structured through the Ormiston Forge Football Academy. The published model describes 10 to 12 hours of coaching and matches each week, opportunities to play in the ECFA West Midlands league, and access to grass and astroturf pitches. It is run as an education-and-sport package alongside studies. This will suit students who genuinely want training volume and competition integrated into their weekly timetable, not just a standard after-school football club.

Wider opportunities on site

Sandwell Sea Cadets are based at the academy and operate with their own independent base while working with Forge students. From a parent perspective, this can be a valuable “ready-made” pathway for confidence, teamwork, and structured responsibility, particularly for students who respond well to uniformed youth settings.

Finally, facilities matter because they determine what is realistic at scale. The academy lists assets including a full-size astroturf pitch, grass pitches, gyms, netball courts, classrooms, hospitality and conference facilities, and ICT facilities.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Costs to plan for are the usual ones: uniform, trips, and optional extras such as activities and enrichment that sit outside the standard timetable.

The academy publishes day timings that vary across the week: Monday 08:35 to 16:20, Tuesday to Thursday 08:35 to 15:15, and Friday 08:35 to 13:20. Families should factor the longer Monday finish into transport and after-school routines.

Parking is referenced in open event information, with on-site parking indicated for those attending events. For day-to-day travel, many families will rely on walking, public transport, or standard school-run routes; for the most accurate picture, check the academy’s current guidance and local travel options.

Wraparound care is not a typical feature of 11 to 18 schools. For younger siblings, this will usually be handled through primary provision rather than Forge itself.

• Outcomes are still a key improvement area. The curriculum and teaching routines are described as ambitious and better sequenced, but outcomes have not yet improved consistently across all subjects by the end of Key Stage 4. Families should ask which departments have improved most recently, and what intervention looks like for students who fall behind.

• Attendance expectations are tightening. Absence is reducing, but the school states that too many pupils still miss school unnecessarily. If your child is anxious or has a history of poor attendance, ask early about how pastoral, external agencies, and family support work together.

• A large-school environment is not for everyone. Capacity and scale can be a strength, enabling breadth of courses, clubs and pathways. For some students, though, a smaller setting feels easier and less demanding socially.

• The sixth form has “pathways” that may raise the bar. The Medicine Pathway includes high GCSE entry expectations. That can be highly motivating for the right student, but it may feel pressurised for those who want medicine “as an idea” rather than as a fully informed commitment.

Ormiston Forge Academy is a large Sandwell secondary that puts visible weight on personal development, structured routines, and building credible post-16 pathways. Results are below England average on the available measures, but the improvement strategy is clear: better sequencing, stronger teaching routines, reading focus, and tighter attendance work. The school will suit families who want scale-driven breadth, leadership opportunities, and a sixth form with defined routes such as medicine, law, and a high-commitment football programme. The main decision is whether your child will thrive in a big, fast-moving environment, and whether you can align expectations around attendance and consistent study habits.