Schools by area › Dudley › Thorns Collegiate Academy
Thorns Collegiate Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Sponsored academy
Stockwell Avenue, Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill DY5 2NU · thornsca.org.uk · 01384 987973
Overview
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement
- 2019 framework · inspected Mar 2024
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 38.7
- average Attainment 8 score. Dudley 43, England 46
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 861
- 86% of 1,000 places
- Local authority
- Dudley
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 37%
- First language not English
- 7.7%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 124 families put the school first and 147 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 147 | 124 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 170 | 150 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 176 | 136 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 185 | 140 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 178 | 157 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 38.7, and 33.5% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Dudley it was 43, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼38.7 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼33.5% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼51.4% | 64.8% | ||
| ▲65.4% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.42 | 4.09 |
Some years are for the predecessor school (URN 103853)
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 2.4 | +0.1 |
| Sixth form college | 11.7 | +2.6 |
| Further education | 68.8 | +3.6 |
| Apprenticeship | 3.9 | −0.6 |
| Employment | 2 | −1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 4.9 | −3.4 |
| Activity not captured | 6.3 | −1.3 |
Ofsted
Thorns Collegiate Academy was judged Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, on 12 March 2024, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Requires improvement
- Inspected
- 12 Mar 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Requires improvement |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Inadequate, graded inspection, Feb 2022
Earlier inspections
Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 103853), which Ofsted links to this one.
September 2019 to November 2025
- Jun 2023Monitoring visitEffective action
- Nov 2022Monitoring visitEffective action
Feb 2022Inadequate
Quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Safeguarding Not effective
Before September 2019
May 2016Inadequate
Leadership and management Inadequate Safeguarding Not effective Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 103853)
What parents said
53% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (143 replies, to 6 January 2025).
- Recommend
- 53%
- Replies
- 143
- 15% · 6 Jan 2025
based on the 90% who raised concerns
based on the 50% who had a child bullied
based on 37 parents (26%) with SEND