Oldbury Academy Review 2026: A CARE-led 11–16 academy with strong pastoral structures and a serious sports offer

Oldbury Academy is a large, mixed 11–16 state secondary in Oldbury, Sandwell, with capacity for 1,550 pupils and a clear community mission built around its CARE ethos (Celebrate Together, Achievement for All, Respect each other, Expectations to succeed).

The last full inspection outcome remains a key reference point for parents. The latest Ofsted inspection (7 and 8 December 2021) judged the school Good across all areas.

Leadership has recently refreshed. The headteacher is Mr B Morley, with a published headteacher start date of September 2024 in the school’s recruitment material.

Oldbury is not a sixth form school, so the story is about KS3 foundations, KS4 pathways, and what students leave with at 16. Academically, current FindMySchool GCSE indicators place outcomes broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Attainment 8 is 40.8, with Progress 8 at -0.09, signalling slightly below average progress from starting points across KS4. (FindMySchool uses official data; rankings are proprietary.)

The school’s public-facing language is consistent across policies, curriculum statements, and admissions messaging. CARE is not presented as a poster slogan, it is repeatedly positioned as the decision-making framework for daily routines, expectations, and rewards. The ethos page also adds a simple behavioural triad, safe, respectful, responsible, intended to protect learning time and reduce low-level disruption.

For families weighing culture as much as grades, the most helpful insight is the school’s stated preference for clarity and consistency. Older pupils are expected to respond to feedback, keep work organised, and complete regular “do now” recall tasks in lessons, all of which points to a deliberate attempt to build routines that work for a wide range of prior attainment.

A second strand of the school’s character is its unusually visible connection to sport and physical training. The on-site gym offer, branded as Sam’s Gym, is described as a community-facing facility with access to a dance studio, sports hall, and sauna room, open to students and the public. That is a tangible differentiator, because it supports both curriculum PE and structured enrichment without relying on off-site travel.

Leadership messaging from the headteacher leans heavily on partnership with parents and high expectations, paired with a promise of support and challenge. It is written in a direct, motivational style, and explicitly ties daily behaviour and community standards back to CARE.

Oldbury Academy is ranked 2,737th in England and 3rd in Oldbury for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This places performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The underlying KS4 indicators show a mixed picture that will be familiar to many comprehensive intakes in the region:

• Attainment 8: 40.8

• Progress 8: -0.09

• EBacc APS: 3.64

• Pupils achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc: 11

What this tends to mean in practice is that outcomes are strongly influenced by consistency in attendance, behaviour for learning, and early identification of gaps, particularly in English and mathematics. The school’s own curriculum intent describes deliberate sequencing and review of subject content so that students can move from KS3 knowledge to KS4 examined courses with fewer “missing steps”.

It is also worth noting that the latest inspection report highlighted reading as an area where the school needed to strengthen students’ engagement and the place of reading in the wider curriculum. That is relevant to parents because it often affects performance in subjects beyond English, especially humanities where extended writing and vocabulary matter.

Parents comparing Oldbury Academy against nearby options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these indicators side by side, including the percentile context, rather than relying on headline impressions.

Teaching and learning is presented as a blend of structured routines and a broad KS3 entitlement that narrows into KS4 pathways. The curriculum overview notes a formal review process, with subject leaders asked to redesign sequences where content was no longer well ordered or did not build effectively over time. The intent is explicit, students should “know more” and demonstrate more skills by the end of Year 9 so that GCSE courses are a step up, not a restart.

The school also names a specific set of character skills, LORIC (Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Initiative, Communication), and positions these as being developed through both lessons and enrichment. The implication for families is that behaviour and participation are treated as part of the curriculum, not an optional extra.

At KS4, the inspection evidence describes academic and vocational pathways, supported by guidance around option choices. For students, this matters because a clear pathway structure can prevent “default decisions” and increase the chance that options align with strengths and realistic post-16 routes.

As an 11–16 school, Oldbury Academy’s success is best judged by readiness for the next stage. The inspection narrative states that students who leave are prepared for future study or training for employment, supported by character-building opportunities and trips alongside the taught curriculum.

For most families, the key question is practical rather than abstract: what happens after GCSEs if a student is not suited to a highly academic sixth form route? The school’s emphasis on both academic and vocational pathways at KS4 suggests an awareness of that question, and it is consistent with a local context where post-16 choices often include sixth form colleges, vocational providers, and apprenticeship pathways.

A sensible approach for parents is to ask, early in Year 9, how guidance works for option choices and how careers education is structured across Years 10 and 11, particularly for students aiming for technical routes.

Admissions are coordinated through Sandwell, not directly through the school. For September 2026 entry, Oldbury Academy has published a clear open period with bookable events and an explicit application deadline.

Key published admissions details include:

• Published Admission Number (PAN) for September 2026: 270

• Open Evening: Monday 22 September (5:00pm to 7:00pm)

• Open Mornings: 23, 24 and 26 September 2025 (tours at 9:30am)

• Deadline to apply (Sandwell admissions): 31 October 2025

Oversubscription is handled through published criteria. The admissions policy sets out priority groups, beginning with children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, followed by looked-after or previously looked-after children and other defined categories such as certain medical conditions (with required evidence).

If you are trying to gauge realistic chances of a place, the FindMySchoolMap Search is still useful even when a specific “last distance offered” figure is not available, because it helps families understand travel practicality and likely competition patterns across nearby schools.

Pastoral structure is one of Oldbury Academy’s most concrete strengths on paper, because it is set out in named roles rather than generic claims. The pastoral page lists heads of year, assistant heads of year, and student welfare officers for each year group, plus a Learning Support Centre manager and safeguarding roles. The practical implication is that families have multiple access points for early intervention, including year teams, welfare staff, and the Learning Support Centre.

The safeguarding page adds two additional features that matter in day-to-day life. First, it explicitly frames mental health support as a routine part of school vigilance, and it names the Learning Support Centre as a hub for social and emotional wellbeing. Second, it references Operation Encompass participation, which is designed to help schools support children who may have been exposed to domestic abuse incidents.

Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements were effective at the time of the latest inspection, including staff training, clear reporting steps, and appropriate use of external agencies where needed.

Oldbury Academy publishes a detailed weekly enrichment timetable, which is more useful than broad claims because it shows what actually runs, when, and for which year groups. The offer spans sport, arts, academic support, and student interest clubs across lunch and after-school slots.

A few examples that help illustrate the school’s character and priorities:

• Weightlifting Club (Years 7 to 11) appears multiple times in the week. The implication is a sustained programme rather than a one-off activity, and it aligns with the on-site gym facilities.

• Axiom Maths Circle Club (invite only) suggests targeted stretch for students who are ready for higher-level problem solving, which can matter for confidence and aspiration in mathematics.

• Creative Writing and School Newspaper (Years 7 to 9) provides a non-sport route for students who engage through communication and creativity, and it supports literacy in a practical way.

• Art Lunch Club, KS3 Art Club, and KS4 Art Club indicates continuity across year groups, rather than restricting creative work to younger years.

• Chess Club, Board and Card Games Club, Quiz Club, Craft and Crochet Club, and Wool Craft Club collectively show an offer for quieter students who prefer social connection through shared activities.

The inspection report also referenced specific provision such as Calm Club and Urban Street Dance in the context of character development and enrichment.

The published school day begins with gates opening at 08:40, registration at 08:50, and finishes at 15:00. The page also states a 30.5 hour normal school week.

Because Oldbury Academy is a secondary school, wraparound care is not generally offered in the same way as primary provision. For families with younger siblings in primary settings, it is still worth checking whether any supervised study or structured after-school sessions meet childcare needs, particularly for Years 7 and 8.

The site also hosts community lettings, and the Sam’s Gym facility is described as supporting both students and the wider community, which can be helpful for families who prefer on-site options for sport and fitness rather than separate evening travel.

• KS4 progress is slightly below average. A Progress 8 score of -0.09 indicates that, on average, students make slightly less progress than peers nationally from similar starting points. Families should ask how progress is tracked from Year 7 and what happens when a student starts to slip behind.

• Reading culture needed attention in the latest inspection evidence. The inspection report highlighted reading as an area to strengthen. For students who are reluctant readers, parents may want to understand what structured support exists across subjects, not just in English.

• No sixth form on site. For some students, an 11–16 school is ideal, it creates a natural reset at 16 and broadens peer groups. For others, the absence of an internal sixth form can feel like a disruption. Families should plan post-16 pathways early, particularly where travel is a factor.

• Admissions require planning. The school has published clear open events and a firm deadline for September 2026 entry. Families who leave planning late may miss the window for the most useful visit dates.

Oldbury Academy is best understood as a large, community-facing comprehensive with a clear behaviour and ethos framework, strong published pastoral structures, and a distinctive sports and fitness offer anchored by on-site facilities. It suits families who value clear routines, visible staff roles for wellbeing and safeguarding, and enrichment that includes both academic stretch and practical clubs. The key consideration is ensuring that learning gaps are identified early enough for progress to accelerate by KS4, especially for students who need extra structure around reading and study habits.