Thorns Collegiate Academy
90%
Capacity
895
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Thorns Collegiate Academy
Thorns Collegiate Academy is a mixed 11-16 secondary school in Dudley with 895 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,000. The school serves a community with notably high economic disadvantage: 34.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for secondary schools. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 254 applications for 170 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.49. Of those, 150 were first-preference applications, and exactly 150 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who put Thorns first secured a spot. This suggests the school is a realistic and popular choice for local families, particularly those prioritising proximity over selectivity.
Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 rated it Requires Improvement overall, a significant step up from its previous Inadequate rating in February 2022. Leadership and management, along with personal development, were both judged Good, while behaviour and attitudes and quality of education remain Requires Improvement. Exam results for 2023/24 show a Progress 8 score of -0.52, placing the school well below average nationally and 17th out of 17 schools in Dudley — the lowest in the local authority. For context, the Dudley LA average Progress 8 is -0.08. Attainment 8 sits at 36.5, and only 20.5% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The English Progress 8 score of +0.12 is a relative bright spot, but maths (-0.86) and EBacc subjects (-0.95) are significant drags. The EBacc entry rate of 41% is reasonable, but only 4.9% achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, art studios, and music rooms, plus clubs such as Debate, Orchestra, Duke of Edinburgh, and Young Enterprise. Its SEND provisions are broad, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, SEMH, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. With no sixth form, pupils must plan for post-16 transfer elsewhere. Thorns will suit families who value a local, non-selective school with improving leadership and a strong personal development focus, and who are comfortable with the current academic profile. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Redhill School, 2.1 km away, which may be a more competitive alternative for higher-attaining pupils.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Stockwell Avenue, Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill, Dudley, DY5 2NU |
| Headteacher | Nicola Jones |
| Local Authority | Dudley |
| Number of Pupils | 895 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 34.5% |
| School Capacity | 895 / 1,000 (90% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Mar 2024Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 1 May 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.52)
2632nd of 3,141
Nationally
310th of 371
In West Midlands
17th of 17
In Dudley
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 170 pupils).
- FE college62%
- Sixth form college16%
- Not sustained7%
- Employment6%
- Apprenticeship5%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
92% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed170
254
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
150 families put this school as their 1st choice (59% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:25
Source: thornsca.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British74.5%
- Mixed6.3%
- Asian5.1%
- White (other)2.2%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Thorns Collegiate Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Stockwell Avenue, Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill
Dudley, DY5 2NU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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