School profile

Thorns Collegiate Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Brierley Hill, DY5 2NU

Requires improvement

Map showing Thorns Collegiate Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,939 of 3,312

Worse than 88% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Thorns Collegiate Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 12 Mar 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils861
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Nicola Jones
TrustSHIRELAND COLLEGIATE ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityDudley
Opened01 Sept 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 143818.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolDudleyEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.37.6, worse than England, worse than Dudley4346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.43.8%, worse than England, worse than Dudley60%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.30.2%, worse than England, worse than Dudley42.3%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.6.2%, worse than England, worse than Dudley9.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths38.3%, worse than England, worse than Dudley55.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4162--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils861
Girls414
Boys447
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.37%
First language not English7.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,209
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.28.8%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.150
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.17
Average class size24.7

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
76.1%
Pakistani
4.5%
White and Black Caribbean
2.8%
White and Asian
2.4%
Other White
2%
African
2%
Other ethnic group
1.2%
Other mixed
1%
White and Black African
0.8%
Indian
0.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.3
Teachers (FTE)53.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.57
Support staff (FTE)33.61
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2552
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2542
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.147
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.261
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.124
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.124
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)7

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolDudleyEngland
Overall absence9.3%, worse than England, worse than Dudley8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.29.4%, worse than England, worse than Dudley23.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.2%, worse than England, worse than Dudley3.9%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate22.8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions12.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0.8%
Permanent exclusions7

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.88.8%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.9%
Further education68.8%
Sixth form college11.7%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.9%
Apprenticeship3.9%
School sixth form2.4%
Employment2%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Thorns Collegiate Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryThorns Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryMount Pleasant Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.5 miPrimaryWithymoor Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Mary's RC Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryPeters Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryBrierley Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryQuarry Bank Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryRufford Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryWollescote Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.2 miPrimaryBrockmoor Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Thorns Collegiate Academy

What is Thorns Collegiate Academy's Ofsted rating?

Thorns Collegiate Academy is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 12 Mar 2024.

How does Thorns Collegiate Academy rank in England?

Thorns Collegiate Academy ranks 2,939 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 88% of schools).

What are Thorns Collegiate Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 30.2% of pupils at Thorns Collegiate Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 37.6 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Thorns Collegiate Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Thorns Collegiate Academy made 147 offers from 261 applications (1.8 per offer), and 124 of 124 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Thorns Collegiate Academy?

Thorns Collegiate Academy has 861 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Thorns Collegiate Academy?

Thorns Collegiate Academy had 1,209 school places in 2024/25.

Does Thorns Collegiate Academy have a sixth form?

No, Thorns Collegiate Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Thorns Collegiate Academy?

At Thorns Collegiate Academy, the average class had 24.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Thorns Collegiate Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Thorns Collegiate Academy missed 9.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 29.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.