Ormiston SWB Academy

About Ormiston SWB Academy

Ormiston SWB Academy is a mixed secondary school in Wolverhampton that is clearly in high demand. With 1,177 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,270, it is operating close to full, and the numbers tell a story of strong local interest: for 228 Year 7 places in 2025/26, the school received 461 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.02. Of those, 207 first-preference offers were made from 230 first-preference applications, meaning that while most who wanted it as their top choice got in, it was not guaranteed. The school serves a community with significant economic disadvantage — 53.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average and a clear marker of the demographic it supports. This is not a selective or faith school; it has no religious character and operates as a standard state academy, drawing from a broad local catchment.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2021 rated it Good overall, with Good in every category including behaviour, personal development, and sixth-form provision. This represents a notable improvement from its previous inspection in January 2017, when it was rated Requires Improvement. However, the exam results paint a more mixed picture. At Key Stage 4, the Progress 8 score is -0.5, which is below the Wolverhampton local authority average of -0.06 and places the school 18th out of 21 secondary schools in the borough. The Attainment 8 score is 37.4, and only 45.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the picture is similarly challenging: the value-added score is -0.41, with an average points per entry of 24.74 (equivalent to a D+), and no students achieved the AAB combination in 2023/24.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, astro turf, and playing fields, with sports such as hockey, rugby, and athletics on offer. There is a dedicated Sixth Form Centre, and the school runs a wide array of clubs from Drama and Young Enterprise to Model UN and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. For families with children who have special educational needs, the SEND provision is comprehensive, covering nine different needs including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and physical disabilities. Given its high FSM intake and below-average Progress 8 scores, this school is best suited to families who value a genuinely inclusive, non-selective environment and are comfortable with academic results that sit below the local average. The oversubscription suggests it is a popular choice within its community, particularly for those seeking a stable, Good-rated school with strong pastoral and extracurricular breadth.

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