Willenhall E-ACT Academy Review 2026: A fast-improving secondary with calm expectations and a clear horizon

The story here is momentum. A school that previously carried a Requires Improvement judgement is now operating with markedly higher ambition, clearer routines, and a more settled tone. The latest inspection graded all four key areas as Good, and safeguarding is confirmed as effective.

Located in Willenhall and part of E-ACT Trust, the academy serves a broad local intake and runs as an 11 to 18 provision, with sixth form places available. Tim Marston became headteacher in December 2023, and the early emphasis has been on making every day calm, purposeful, and forward-looking.

There is a consistent theme in how the academy presents itself and how external evidence describes it, namely that pupils’ interests come first and that expectations are now explicit. Social times are described as calm and well ordered, and pupils who struggle with behaviour or emotional regulation are supported through individualised approaches rather than informal, inconsistent sanctioning.

A helpful way to understand the current tone is the academy’s insistence on routines that reduce friction. Lessons are structured so that pupils know what “good learning behaviour” looks like, and the pastoral model is designed to remove barriers that can stop attendance and engagement from sticking. The inspection narrative explicitly links this shift to improved attendance and to pupils describing a renewed reason to come to school, a meaningful indicator in a community secondary where confidence can be fragile.

The language of aspiration is deliberate. Pupils are described as embracing a vision of Willenhall then the world, and the school’s careers and enrichment offer is positioned as a route to widen horizons rather than as an optional extra for the already confident.

For families weighing this school against other local options, it is important to hold two ideas at once. First, published outcomes still reflect an earlier phase of the school’s improvement journey. Second, the most recent inspection asserts that the curriculum and delivery have been overhauled since the previous cohort, and that 2024 published data does not capture the benefits of recent changes.

On the published GCSE indicators available here, the average Attainment 8 score is 33.3, and Progress 8 stands at -0.82. In practical terms, a Progress 8 score below zero indicates that pupils, on average, made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally.

In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the academy is ranked 3654th in England and sits in the lower-performing band overall, while ranking 2nd within the Willenhall local area grouping. This local position matters mainly as context, it suggests the academy is competing credibly within its immediate context, even if national outcomes remain a work in progress.

If you are comparing several schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools are useful here. They let you compare attainment and progress measures side by side, which helps separate “trajectory” from “current headline data”.

The academy’s improvement case is strongest when you look at the mechanics of learning. The curriculum has been redesigned to set out precisely what pupils should know and when, and teachers are described as using strong subject knowledge to present new concepts clearly. Pupils are also described as being well rehearsed in classroom routines, which matters because predictable routines reduce low-level disruption and protect learning time.

Reading is treated as a foundational skill rather than a bolt-on intervention. Pupils who are not fluent readers are identified and supported with targeted provision, with positive impact in key stage 3. The limitation is that some older pupils still carry gaps that were not picked up early enough in previous years, and those gaps can hamper learning across subjects.

The key teaching refinement now is consistency in checking understanding. The inspection evidence flags that, at times, teachers move on before confirming that knowledge is secure, which can leave some pupils with shaky foundations. For parents, this is the kind of issue that tends to improve with coaching and consistent expectations, but it is also worth asking about in any conversation with the school.

Because the published destination statistics in the available dataset are suppressed or not available for this school, it is better to focus on the concrete signals that are evidenced.

The inspection record emphasises a comprehensive careers programme that actively raises aspiration, including visits and workshops linked to Oxford University. It also states that all pupils in the 2025 Year 11 cohort had secured places in further education or training, which is a strong indicator of effective guidance and tracking at the key transition point.

For post-16, the academy offers sixth form places and sets clear entry expectations. The published admission number for Year 12 is 60, and applications close by the second Friday in December each year. Enrolment is aligned to GCSE results day.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Walsall local authority, with the on-time application deadline for September 2026 entry set as 31 October 2025. Late applications are processed after National Offer Day.

The academy’s admissions arrangements set out a standard hierarchy of priority. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the academy, priority moves through looked after and previously looked after children, then exceptional access needs (medical, psychological, social or special access reasons) where the academy is the only school that can meet the need, then siblings, then children eligible for Pupil Premium or Service Pupil Premium, then children of staff in specified circumstances, and finally distance from home to the academy. Where distance ties cannot be separated, random allocation is used with independent supervision.

A practical note for families who are distance sensitive: if you are trying to judge likely cut-offs, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your precise distance from the school and compare it to any published historical cut-offs. Where local authority distance data changes year to year, proximity increases priority but does not guarantee a place.

For sixth form entry, internal and external applicants are assessed against the same minimum requirements, at least 3 GCSE grades at 5 and 2 GCSE grades at 4, with higher thresholds for some subjects.

Pastoral care is a defining strength in the most recent evidence base. Pupils are described as feeling safe, knowing who to talk to, and valuing relationships with staff. The school’s approach appears to combine clear behavioural expectations with support for pupils who need extra help managing emotions and behaviour, an important blend in a large community secondary.

There is also a strong emphasis on personal development. Examples referenced include practical service activities such as food deliveries to local elderly residents, an ambassadors programme, and trips such as skiing. These examples are useful because they show a deliberate effort to build confidence and broaden experiences beyond the immediate area.

The latest Ofsted report confirms that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The most credible way to judge extracurricular breadth is to look for named activities that run with regularity, across different parts of the day. Here, published club timetables show structured opportunities before school, at break, and at lunchtime, which is particularly helpful for pupils who cannot stay late because of transport or caring arrangements.

Music is visible in the programme. Lunchtime provision includes Drum Club, Music Club, Music Technology Club, School of Rock, and Orchestra Club, suggesting that the academy offers both performance routes and production or tech routes, which often suits different kinds of student.

Support and inclusion also show up as named provision rather than generic statements. The timetable references a SEND Club and a Mental Health Drop-in, and it names spaces such as the SEN Hub and Thrive Hub. For parents, that kind of “named place, named time” detail usually indicates that support is scheduled and accessible rather than purely reactive.

For sport, the academy publishes a programme that includes KS3 football (boys and girls), badminton, netball, basketball, and sessions labelled Personal Survival. Even where sport is not a child’s main interest, regular activity helps with routine, social connection, and confidence.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Families should plan for the normal associated costs of a secondary education, such as uniform, equipment, and optional trips.

A published extracurricular timetable indicates before-school clubs running 08:10 to 08:35, breaktime activity at 10:40 to 11:00, and lunchtime clubs at 13:00 to 13:35.

For the most current start and finish times, and any late gate procedures, check the academy’s published school day information.

• Published outcomes vs current experience. GCSE performance data still reflects an earlier cohort, including a Progress 8 score of -0.82. The inspection record argues that the curriculum and teaching have improved materially since then, but published results can take time to catch up.

• Reading catch-up in older years. Targeted reading support is in place, but some older pupils still carry gaps from previous provision. If your child has reading vulnerabilities, ask how screening and intervention work in Years 9 to 11.

• Sixth form size and subject viability. The Year 12 admission number is 60. Smaller sixth forms can feel supportive, but some courses may not run if group sizes are not viable.

• Alternative provision usage. The school uses six registered and two unregistered alternative provisions. For some pupils this can be the right support; parents should ask how placements are quality-assured and reviewed.

Willenhall E-ACT Academy reads as a school on a steep upward curve, with stronger routines, clearer learning expectations, and a calmer culture than its historic reputation might suggest. It will suit families who want a structured community secondary with an explicit focus on aspiration, character, and widened horizons, and who value visible pastoral support alongside firmer academic ambition. The key question for many parents is timing, how quickly published outcomes will align with the improvements that are now evidenced in inspection and daily practice.