New Invention Learning Academy Review 2026: High-attaining junior years, strong routines, clear values

Year 3 is a pivotal reset for many children, new expectations, deeper reading, and a step up in independence. This junior-only academy (Years 3 to 6) has built a reputation for pushing attainment hard while keeping a simple set of shared values at the centre, Respect, Compassion, High Expectations, and Equality.

The headline academic picture is unusually strong. In the most recent Key Stage 2 data, 87% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 39% reached the higher standard benchmark compared with an England average of 8%. The scaled scores tell a similar story, with reading at 109 and mathematics at 108.

Families should note one practical nuance upfront. This is not a Reception intake school. The main annual entry point is Year 3 (infant to junior transfer), with Walsall Council coordinating the September round, while the academy runs its own in-year admissions process for all year groups.

The academy’s public messaging is unusually direct about habits and routines. The headteacher sets out a focus on attendance, punctuality, and a positive attitude, with the stated aim of building independent, responsible learners alongside traditional values such as respect for others. This clarity matters at junior stage because Year 3 often brings a wider curriculum and more switching between teachers, so children who like structure typically settle quickly.

The current headteacher is Mr Alan Pearson, and the school sits within Primary Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust established in September 2024 when Ryders Hayes Academy and this academy came together as founder schools.

Culture is not just described in values statements, it is reinforced through the way the school talks about behaviour and inclusion. The academy highlights work around kindness and anti-bullying, alongside parent partnership recognition. For parents, that signals a school that wants strong boundaries without making school feel transactional.

The performance data indicates a school operating well above England benchmarks at Key Stage 2. In the most recent published results:

• 87% met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined (England average: 62%).

• 39% reached the higher standard measure for reading, writing and mathematics (England average: 8%).

• Scaled scores were 109 in reading and 108 in mathematics, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 113.

Rankings reinforce that picture. Ranked 504th in England and 1st in Willenhall for primary outcomes (a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits well above England average, within the top 10% of schools in England.

A final context point matters for interpretation. The academy opened in September 2024 as the successor to New Invention Junior School, and the most recent graded inspection evidence relates to the predecessor school.

Teaching expectations are high and the curriculum is designed to build resilience through regular, good-quality work, with an explicit emphasis on thinking skills and independence. That framing aligns well with what parents often want from a junior school, children moving from learning basics to using them in longer writing, multi-step mathematics, and wider subject knowledge.

The most recent full inspection report for the predecessor school described a strong culture of aspiration and respect, with teachers using questioning to promote deeper thinking in English and mathematics. It also pointed to a very specific next step, greater depth across the full curriculum, and more reading using high-quality texts beyond English. For parents, this is a useful lens when asking about topic work and reading across history or geography, not just whether SATs preparation is strong.

Specialist strands are most visible in sport and music. Physical education is planned across a broad set of units (including swimming and outdoor and adventurous activity), with two PE lessons a week and additional opportunities at breaktimes and after school.

As a junior school, the main transition is Year 6 to Year 7. Families apply through coordinated secondary admissions based on home address and each school’s oversubscription criteria, so the best next-step planning is to map likely secondary options early, then sense-check travel time and admissions patterns.

The school’s Year 3 entry point is just as important strategically. Children typically arrive from an infant school at the end of Year 2, which means families are choosing not only a school but a transition moment. For many pupils this is positive, it is a chance to reset habits and confidence, especially for children who benefit from a clear structure and a bigger academic push.

There are two routes into the academy, and it is important not to mix them up.

1. September entry into Year 3 (infant to junior transfer)

Walsall Council coordinates junior transfer. For September 2026 entry, the portal opens on 01 September 2025 and the national closing date for on-time applications is 15 January 2026. Offer day is 16 April 2026, with waiting list positions published from 30 April 2026, and an appeals deadline of 18 May 2026.

1. In-year admissions (moving school mid-year)

The academy manages its own in-year admissions across year groups. The school sets an expectation that families make contact and arrange a visit before submitting the in-year form. Applications are considered via a trust admissions committee, with a stated timeline from submission to outcome.

Planning tip: because junior entry is competitive in many areas, families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check travel practicality and to sense-check how realistic a preferred option is alongside alternatives.

Pastoral support is presented as part of a wider safeguarding and wellbeing framework rather than as a separate bolt-on. The predecessor school’s inspection report described safeguarding as a strength, and also noted that pupils were taught to keep safe, including online safety. That matters for junior-aged children who are increasingly independent online and socially.

On the school’s current wellbeing information, there is a named Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) and named Youth Mental Health First Aiders, plus signposting to structured wellbeing materials such as Black Country Rainbow Hour resources. For parents, the practical takeaway is that early support exists inside school, so children who are anxious, struggling with friendships, or dealing with change have an internal route to help.

Music is a clear strength with unusually concrete detail. Pupils receive whole-class music provision through Charanga, and the school references specialist teaching via Wider Opportunities and Walsall Music Hub. Instrumental opportunities include brass and woodwind, and the school highlights choir alongside ukulele and recorder clubs after school. This is the kind of programme that suits children who gain confidence from performance and steady practice.

Sport is built into daily life rather than being limited to a single weekly slot. The academy describes morning sports clubs, lunchtime sports and team games each day with a trained lunchtime team, plus after-school clubs that change by half term. It also uses the Daily Mile beyond formal PE lessons, which can be helpful for children who regulate better with regular movement.

Wider experiences show up in environmental and community activity. Examples include a Year 6 tree-planting initiative with pupils taking trees home to care for, plus climate pledges linked to earning Green Blue Peter Badges, and practical projects such as recycling awareness competitions. In charity work, the school describes regular collections for a local food bank and fundraising activity that has raised over £12,500 for cancer-related charities through events such as Race for Life and danceathons.

The published school day runs from 8.55am to 3.20pm, with doors open from 8.45am for pupils to go in and get ready.

Wraparound care arrangements are not clearly set out on the academy’s website, so families who need breakfast or after-school provision should ask directly about availability and timings.

Parking is a known pinch point. The school notes that the nearby New Invention Health Centre has no parking that can be used for school drop-off or pick-up, and asks families to park legally and considerately.

• Junior-only intake. Entry is primarily at Year 3, so families need to plan the infant to junior transition early, both emotionally for the child and practically for the admissions timetable.

• Curriculum depth expectations. The last full inspection evidence for the predecessor school highlighted a next step around greater depth across subjects and stronger reading beyond English. Ask specifically how this is now built into topic work and wider reading.

• Parking constraints. If you rely on driving for drop-off, the lack of usable health centre parking can add friction to daily routines. A walk-first plan can reduce stress.

• Academy conversion timing. The academy opened in September 2024, and the most recent graded inspection judgement relates to the predecessor school. Families may want to ask what has stayed consistent and what has changed since conversion.

For a junior school, the academic profile is striking, with Key Stage 2 outcomes that sit far above England averages and a local performance position that stands out. The day-to-day proposition is clear, structured routines, high expectations, and visible investment in music and sport.

Best suited to families seeking a strong junior-phase academic push, particularly for children who respond well to clear boundaries and a consistent expectations culture, and who would benefit from structured enrichment such as choir and instrumental pathways.