Aldridge School - A Science College
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,629 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.2
Academy converter
Pool Hayes Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,162of 1,084 places
- Free school meals
- 43.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 181
- Ofsted
- Good, 26 April 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Pool Hayes Arts and Community School (URN 104251, until 1 February 2016).
What the data says
Of the 180 pupils who finished Year 11 at Pool Hayes Academy in 2023, 28% stayed on in Pool Hayes Academy’s own sixth form (Walsall average 43%), 51% went to a further education college and 6% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 42 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 40% went to university (Walsall 35%, England 37%), and 2% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 12% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 46% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 37.7 against 46.1 across England and 43.0 in Walsall, with 30% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Walsall and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Pool Hayes Academy | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 180 | 3,611 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 79% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 28% | 43% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 51% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Pool Hayes Academy | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 42 | 3,439 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 40% | 35% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 2% | 17% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 7% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 12% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 29% | 24% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 12% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Pool Hayes Academy | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 37.7 | 43.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 30% | 39% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 52% | 57% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 56% | 36% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.37 | 3.77 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 42% | 40% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.2 | 34.4 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 41.6 | 48.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 7% | 21% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 182 | 100% | 89% | 6% | 20% | 63% |
| Mathematics | 182 | 100% | 88% | 4% | 22% | 55% |
| English Literature | 174 | 96% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 61% |
| Combined Science | 131 | 72% | 65% | 0% | 9% | 29% |
| Spanish | 102 | 56% | 19% | 9% | 27% | 75% |
| Geography | 97 | 54% | 41% | 2% | 25% | 32% |
| Art and Design | 84 | 46% | 7% | 0% | 24% | 33% |
| History | 76 | 42% | 41% | 8% | 26% | 49% |
| Chemistry | 44 | 24% | 23% | 7% | 47% | 82% |
| Physics | 44 | 24% | 23% | 5% | 46% | 75% |
| Biology | 44 | 24% | 23% | 9% | 45% | 84% |
| Religious Studies | 21 | 12% | 31% | 5% | 32% | 48% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 18 | 10% | 8% | 0% | 21% | 17% |
| Drama | 17 | 9% | 7% | 6% | 27% | 65% |
| Music | 11 | 6% | 5% | 9% | 33% | 36% |
| Statistics | 4 | 2% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
| Punjabi | 3 | 2% | 0% | — | 48% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | 58 | 100% | — |
| Small Business Management | 51 | 100% | — |
| Sports Studies | 48 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 39 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 27 | 75% | — |
| Dance: General | 9 | 25% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Pool Hayes Academy | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 99 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 36 | 1,281 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 23.77 | 33.52 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C- | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 11% | 20% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology | 19 | 53% | 13% |
| English Literature | 13 | 36% | 11% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 31% | 31% |
| Biology | 7 | 19% | 20% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 36% | — |
| Multimedia | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 12 | 33% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 9 | 25% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 25% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 22% | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 19% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 17% | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Walsall
Barr Beacon School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,469 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.0
Bloxwich Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,383 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 32.9
Blue Coat Church of England Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 972 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.4
Brownhills Ormiston Academy
Academy converter · 778 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.1
Grace Academy Darlaston
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,059 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.2
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.