Academy converter · Dudley

St James Academy

11–16Ages
867Pupils
SecondaryPhase
144657URN

St James's Road, Dudley, DY1 3JE · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jun 2024 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.7per place

0.6 below Dudley median (2.3)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Dudley

307 applications for 176 places · 19th of 19 in Dudley

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

41.6of 90

Dudley 44.2 England 46.0

14th of 19 in Dudley

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 4 June 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.7applications per place, Year 7

0.6 below Dudley median (2.3) 0.5 below England median (2.2)

307 applications · 176 places offered · 139 named it first

2026 1.7; Dudley median median 2.3
2025 1.7; Dudley median median 2.1
2024 1.6; Dudley median median 2.1
2023 1.6; Dudley median median 2.2
2022 1.4; Dudley median median 2.4
2021 1.6; Dudley median median 2.1
2020 1.5; Dudley median median 2.2
2019 1.3; Dudley median median 2.1
2018 1.5; Dudley median median 2.2
2017 1.3; Dudley median median 2.4; as the previous school
2016 1.3; Dudley median median 2.3; as the previous school
2015 1.3; Dudley median median 2.3; as the previous school
2014 1.5; Dudley median median 2.4; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Dudley median in 0 of 9 years.

This school
Dudley median

Dashed bars: as Castle High School and Visual Arts College (URN 103867), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	176	307	1.7	139	0.79
Sep 2025	174	288	1.7	118	0.68
Sep 2024	171	265	1.6	94	0.55
Sep 2023	164	258	1.6	107	0.65
Sep 2022	163	224	1.4	108	0.66
Sep 2021	159	253	1.6	103	0.65
Sep 2020	154	231	1.5	107	0.69
Sep 2019	162	208	1.3	80	0.49
Sep 2018	125	186	1.5	65	0.52
Sep 2017 *	125	168	1.3	67	0.54
Sep 2016 *	151	191	1.3	69	0.46
Sep 2015 *	112	150	1.3	52	0.46
Sep 2014 *	125	191	1.5	80	0.64

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

164 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)41.614th of 19 in Dudley

Dudley 44.2 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths47%5th of 19 in Dudley

Dudley 43% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths58%

Dudley 61% England 66%

This school
Dudley median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.11

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	164	41.6	47%	58%	–
2024/25	153	36.8	37%	48%	–
2023/24	163	38.1	39%	55%	−0.11
2022/23	125	38.4	38%	53%	+0.03

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

St James AcademyThis school
This school

Good2024

1.7applications per place 41.6Attainment 8
Bishop Milner Catholic College
1.1 km · Dudley

Remains Good2023

3.5applications per place 45.4Attainment 8
Pegasus Academy
1.3 km · Dudley

2026

1.9applications per place 41.7Attainment 8
The Link Academy
2.2 km · Dudley

2026

1.8applications per place 44.2Attainment 8
Beacon Hill Academy
2.7 km · Dudley

Good2024

2.1applications per place 44.4Attainment 8
Ellowes Hall Sports College
3.1 km · Dudley

Good2023

1.9applications per place 41.2Attainment 8
Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy
3.4 km · Sandwell

Remains Good2023

1.6applications per place 44.7Attainment 8
Q3 Academy Tipton
3.5 km · Sandwell

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.5applications per place 34.1Attainment 8
The Dormston School
3.7 km · Dudley

Good2022

2.5applications per place 44.5Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 144657 · 332/4612
Trust: Dudley Academies Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 900 pupils · 867 on roll
Free school meals: 50.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 2017
Replaced: Castle High School and Visual Arts College (URN 103867)
Address: St James's Road, Dudley, DY1 3JE
Local authority: Dudley

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources