St Regis Church of England Academy Review 2026: A faith-led Wolverhampton secondary with a joint sixth form across two campuses

A clear behavioural and learning framework shapes daily routines at St Regis, with staff expectations set out through “The St Regis Way” and a structured school day that ends with Tutor and Worship time. The academy joined Three Spires Trust in April 2023 (previously operating as The King’s), and now works closely with its sister school, St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, including a shared post-16 offer through Three Spires Sixth Form.

The most recent published inspection, carried out in November 2022 under the predecessor school name, judged the provision Good across all areas including sixth form.

For families, the headline is a school that emphasises calm routines, inclusive support, and a purposeful approach to personal development. Academic performance, however, sits below England average on the available performance indicators, so the best fit is typically a child who benefits from structure, strong pastoral systems, and consistent expectations, rather than one seeking a highly academic, exam-driven culture.

St Regis presents itself as a school that takes conduct seriously and makes expectations explicit. “The St Regis Way” anchors this, with practical, classroom-facing routines such as a “Ready to Learn” starter task designed to settle students quickly at the beginning of lessons. That kind of operational detail matters for families weighing day-to-day experience. It suggests the school is aiming for consistency across classrooms, rather than relying on individual teacher styles.

The Church of England character is visible in both the timetable and the wider culture. Tutor and Worship time is built into the end of each day, which signals that collective reflection and values education are integrated rather than treated as occasional events.

There is also a clear inclusivity thread. The school’s SEND messaging frames support around removing barriers and keeping students part of everyday lessons, with withdrawal used for limited, specific interventions rather than as a default approach. For many families, that means the school is likely to feel more integrated for students with additional needs, provided classroom practice follows the intended model consistently.

Performance data paints a mixed picture, with signs of ambition but outcomes that currently sit below England average overall.

GCSE outcomes and ranking context

Ranked 3,217th in England and 20th in Wolverhampton for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit below England average, placing the school within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

The available headline indicators show:

• Attainment 8: 36.8

• Progress 8: -0.53

• EBacc average point score: 3.24

• Percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc: 10.2%

A negative Progress 8 score indicates that, on average, students make less progress than similar students nationally from their starting points. The implication for families is not that individual students cannot do well, but that outcomes can be more variable and may depend more heavily on subject choices, attendance, and the consistency of teaching across departments.

A-level outcomes and ranking context

Ranked 1,750th in England and 10th in Wolverhampton for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the sixth form outcomes similarly sit below England average overall on this ranking measure.

The available A-level grade distribution (as proportions) is:

• A*: 1.89%

• A: 11.32%

• B: 28.30%

• A* to B: 41.51%

For parents comparing schools locally, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level indicators side-by-side with nearby alternatives, then sense-check your shortlist against curriculum fit and pastoral support, not only headline results.

The strongest evidence-based picture here is of a school aiming to tighten curriculum sequencing and improve long-term retention, while still working through consistency issues around feedback and targeted support.

The most recent inspection evidence described a broad and ambitious curriculum, with careful planning that builds knowledge over time and uses subject-specific vocabulary to explain new learning. It also highlights a reading culture, with students reading across the curriculum and fiction reading built into form time, alongside structured support for weaker readers.

Two areas matter for families assessing day-to-day learning quality.

First, the feedback loop. The inspection evidence notes that the quality of guidance to younger pupils on how to improve can be inconsistent. The practical implication is that some students will be very well supported in making corrections and closing gaps, while others may need extra prompting, structured revision habits, or parent oversight to ensure they act on errors.

Second, precision in SEND guidance. The school’s stated approach is to keep students included in lessons wherever possible, with staff supported by a SEND team and a named SENCo, Mr T Barradas-Lingard.

Inspection evidence, however, indicates that written guidance for supporting some pupils has not always been clear enough for all staff. In practice, families of students with additional needs should pay attention to how strategies are communicated and implemented across different subjects, not only within the SEND team.

Where Students Go Next

Post-16 options and the joint sixth form model

St Regis participates in a collaborative sixth form, Three Spires Sixth Form, delivered across the St Regis (Tettenhall) and St Peter’s Collegiate Academy (Compton) campuses. The stated benefit is that students can study across both sites, with free minibus transport supporting cross-campus timetables.

For families, the implication is choice. A collaborative model can widen subject availability and enrichment options, but it also requires a student who can manage movement between sites and cope with a timetable that may feel more independent than a single-campus sixth form.

Higher education and competitive applications

The school does not publish a full set of destination statistics on the evidence reviewed. However, the available Oxbridge pipeline indicator shows that, in the most recent measurement period, two students applied to Oxford or Cambridge and one secured a place. That is a small number, but it signals that highly competitive applications are supported when the individual student profile is strong.

Careers and work experience

A structured careers programme, including meaningful work experience opportunities, is described in the most recent inspection evidence, alongside personal development roles such as student leadership responsibilities.

The practical value for families is that post-16 pathways are not framed as “university only”; students are prepared for a range of next steps, including apprenticeships and technical routes, even where destination percentages are not published.

Year 7 entry for September 2026

Admissions for Year 7 places are coordinated by the City of Wolverhampton Council. The published application deadline for Year 7 entry in September 2026 is 31 October 2025. Allocation Day is published as 3 March 2026.

The academy’s admissions guidance stresses that families must name the school on the Common Application Form to be considered. It also sets out a faith route: applicants seeking a Foundation Place are directed to complete a Supplementary Evidence Form alongside the main application.

Because the school is oversubscribed in the latest available demand data, families should treat admission as competitive rather than automatic. In the latest available figures, there were 204 applications for 102 offers, which equates to roughly 2 applicants per place. Competition can vary significantly year to year, and the most reliable planning step is to confirm criteria carefully and ensure the application is complete and on time.

A practical shortlisting tip is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your likely travel route and local context, then match that to the published oversubscription criteria rather than relying on anecdotal “safe bets”.

Sixth form entry

Three Spires Sixth Form applications are published as going live on Friday 17 October 2025 at 9am, using an online admissions platform.

For academic entry criteria, the St Regis admissions policy sets out a minimum threshold for Level 3 study, including an average of grade 4 or higher across the best six GCSE results, plus course-specific requirements. It also states that any student without a grade 4 or above in English or Maths GCSE will be required to re-sit those subjects in Year 12 alongside their programme.

The same policy document notes a published admission number (PAN) of 20 for external applicants to Year 12 at St Regis, with the possibility of additional places if internal progression numbers allow.

The implication is straightforward: external applicants should treat entry as potentially constrained by capacity, and should apply early, with realistic subject choices matched to GCSE profiles.

Pastoral systems at St Regis are deliberately visible, with a published safeguarding team and a year-by-year pastoral structure. The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mr T Barradas-Lingard, supported by a deputy safeguarding lead and an attendance officer, alongside Heads of Year from Year 7 through Year 13.

The inspection evidence describes a calm and orderly environment with rare disruption to learning, and also notes that bullying concerns are actively addressed so that pupils feel safe. It also highlights personal development as a planned programme, underpinned by values including empathy, respect, responsibility, and forgiveness, alongside opportunities for leadership such as student council roles and mental health first aiders.

The inspection confirmed safeguarding arrangements were effective.

For families, the key question is how consistently this culture is experienced across subjects and year groups, especially given the school’s stated commitment to inclusive teaching for students with additional needs.

St Regis is unusually specific about the types of extracurricular and enrichment activities it runs, which helps parents understand what “enrichment” means in practice.

Clubs and structured after-school learning

The school lists clubs including gardening, basketball, debating, science, fitness, theatre group, and keyboard club. It also runs a homework club from 3.30pm with access to ICT facilities, which can be a practical support for students who benefit from a quiet space and on-site structure before going home.

Educational visits as part of the wider offer

Enrichment visits referenced include Shrewsbury Prison, RAF Cosford, the Grand Theatre, Nottingham Justice Museum, Carding Mill Valley, and Kingswood Activity Centre. The implication is not only “nice trips”, but curriculum-linked experiences that support personal development, cultural capital, and engagement for students who learn well through contextual experiences.

Sport and performance strands

The school describes strong links with external sports clubs, including Tettenhall Tigers volleyball club and SLAM Basketball, alongside an in-house Basketball Academy. Facilities referenced include a sports hall, athletics track, football pitches, outdoor gym, swimming pool, nature reserve, and fitness studio.

On the creative side, the school highlights specialist music and performance spaces, including a Mac suite in music rooms, a music recording studio, practice rooms, dance and drama studio space, and creative arts studios. It also references a regular calendar of performances, including a summer showcase and seasonal concerts, with recent productions named as Matilda and Oliver.

The school day runs from 8.50am registration to 3.20pm departure, with Tutor and Worship time from 3.00pm to 3.20pm. Pupils are expected to be off-site by 3.30pm unless attending an intervention session, club, or other activity.

For travel, the school references multiple bus routes serving the site, including the Number 1, 763, and 784, and notes that the Number 1 stops directly at the school at the end of the day before continuing on the normal route.

Wraparound childcare is not typically a feature of secondary schools; for St Regis, the most relevant “extended day” offer is academic and enrichment-focused, including structured after-school clubs and the homework club.

• Academic outcomes are currently below England average. GCSE and A-level rankings place the school within the lower performance band nationally on the available measures. This can still suit many students, but families with a highly academic brief may want to compare local options carefully and ask direct questions about subject-level improvement work.

• Progress measures indicate underperformance from starting points. The Progress 8 score of -0.53 suggests some students may need additional support and strong study habits to exceed expectations, particularly in subjects where teaching consistency varies.

• Feedback and targeted support consistency is still an area to watch. Inspection evidence points to inconsistency in how younger pupils are helped to improve their work, plus a need for clearer written guidance for staff supporting some students with SEND.

• External sixth form places may be constrained. The published external Year 12 PAN is 20 for St Regis, so external applicants should apply early and keep alternatives in mind.

St Regis Church of England Academy is best understood as a structured, values-driven secondary where routines, personal development, and inclusive practice are central to the identity. The joint sixth form model broadens opportunities and can suit students ready for a more independent timetable.

Best suited to families who value clear expectations, a faith-informed culture, strong pastoral visibility, and a broad enrichment offer, and who are prepared to engage proactively with learning support where academic outcomes are a concern.