A West Midlands secondary school which was named among the worst in the entire country just two years ago is now ranked as one of the best in its city for pupil performance. Smestow Academy in Wolverhampton has undergone a remarkable turnaround in fortunes under the leadership of new head Ian Chamberlain, who was drafted in to rescue the failing school in 2023.
Smestow is among only a handful of secondary schools in the region to have been given an ‘inadequate’ rating at its most recent inspection, showing how dire things were. But there has since been rapid progress, with latest Key Stage 4 performance tables showing the Castlecroft school as one of the most improved in the country for pupil progress.
Smestow, which has suffered a ‘poor reputation’ in the area in recent years, is now in the top six secondaries in Wolverhampton for pupil results, a key sign things are heading in the right direction. BirminghamLive visited the school in 2023 and was told by pupils and staff how it was now unrecognisable from the troubles of the past.
READ MORE: £200 cost of living payments to enter bank accounts every month in 2025
Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here
Serious concerns were previously raised around safeguarding and attendance before Mr Chamberlain led the turnaround. The school’s Progress 8 score, a measure of pupils’ performance, has surged from -0.35 to +0.31, while attendance has grown from 85.4% in 2022/23 to 92.3%
Mr Chamberlain said: “We are incredibly proud of our pupils and staff for the exceptional progress in these results. For too long, prior to our tenure, the school has endured a poor reputation in the community.
“These results are tantamount to the hard work, resilience, and determination of our entire school community. Since we took over as a trust in January 2023, we have seen a sizeable improvement in behaviour, culture, curriculum and the quality of lessons which have all had a huge impact on our success.
“We are excited about continuing this journey of improvement and providing even more opportunities for our pupils in the years to come.”