Ocker Hill Academy

About Ocker Hill Academy

Ocker Hill Academy is a state junior school in Sandwell, West Midlands, for children aged 7 to 11. It ranks 6th out of 83 primary schools in the local authority, placing it in the top 25% nationally. Its closest academic peers in the area are Grove Vale Primary School, Burnt Tree Primary School, and St Pauls Church of England Academy, all of which score slightly higher on the same ranking metric. The school is led by headteacher Joseph Farmer and has a mixed-gender intake of 251 pupils, operating very close to its full capacity of 256. A notable feature of the local context is that the nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Ocker Hill Infant School, which sits on the same site. The school does not have a religious character and is not a boarding or nursery provider, nor does it offer a sixth form.

Academically, Ocker Hill Academy performs well above the Sandwell average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to a local authority average of 60%. This strong performance is reflected in its ranking: 6th in Sandwell and 162nd out of 1378 primary schools in the West Midlands region. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Good overall, with Outstanding marks for both personal development and behaviour and attitudes. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2013, when it was rated Outstanding across the board. Subject-level results show particularly high writing attainment, with 95% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 37% working at a higher level. Reading and maths scores also sit above national averages, with average scaled scores of 107 and 106 respectively.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including art studios, a forest school, a sensory room, music rooms, and a chapel, alongside sports provision in tennis, swimming, gymnastics, and netball. Clubs include gardening, art, drama, and science club. SEND support is extensive, covering moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing impairment, physical disability, and social, emotional and mental health needs, with a resourced provision on site. With 34.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse community. Given its strong academic outcomes relative to the local average, its wide-ranging facilities, and its dedicated SEND provision, Ocker Hill Academy is well suited to families in Sandwell seeking a high-performing junior school with a strong pastoral and behavioural focus.

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