Oldbury Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 June 2026

This is a school which thrives on positive relationships. Pupils enjoy coming to school as they benefit from the care and support of the adults who work here. They get along well with each other, and are proud of the diversity of their school. As one pupil states, typical of many, 'This school embraces us all as being different and recognises difference.' Pupils enjoy participating in the opportunities, which leaders offer them. This includes 2 recent musicals, and many clubs including weightlifting, gaming and support for their schoolwork. Pupils make good use of these opportunities. As pupils enjoy the school, they attend well. They understand leaders' expectations for their conduct and work hard to meet them. Typically, they try their hardest in lessons. They behave well around the school site and are polite and courteous to visitors. They feel safe and learn how to keep themselves safe. If they have concerns about their wellbeing, they know who to approach. They have confidence that they will be listened to and that leaders will act promptly to support them. Pupils benefit from significant numbers of pastoral staff, who are also there to assist them if they have worries. Pupils typically enjoy their learning. However, there is some variability in how well they are taught. This impacts on how well they learn to spell, to write legibly and to communicate in good English. Despite this, most pupils typically achieve well in examinations, enabling them to progress to ambitious destinations. Pupils come to the school with many barriers to their learning. Leaders work effectively to identify these barriers and many interventions enable these pupils to learn well and to thrive. There is variation, however, in how consistently this happens in lessons for these pupils, which impacts on their learning.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that standards of teaching consistently meet their high expectations and minimise pupils' barriers to learning.
• Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent approach to the development of pupils' foundational knowledge, specifically their spelling, handwriting, language and communication.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)