The Link Academy
Ofsted
Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 19 May 2026
Results
Compared with the local authority and England
KS4 Results
Attainment and progress
Attainment 8 scores a pupil's best 8 GCSE results, out of about 90. Progress 8 compares those results with pupils who started secondary school at the same level: 0 is average.
| Measure | School | Dudley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 40.4 | 43.0 | 46.1 |
GCSE results
Grade 4 is a standard pass; grade 5 is a strong pass.
| Measure | School | Dudley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 33% | 41% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 57% | 61% | 65% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 52% | 55% | 60% |
English Baccalaureate
The EBacc is English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography. It is a set of subjects rather than a qualification.
| Measure | School | Dudley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entering the EBacc | 19% | 31% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
Based on 195 pupils at the end of key stage 4.
Catchment area
Pupils and staff
Pupils
- Pupils
- 984
- Capacity
- 1,050
- Girls / boys
- 49% / 51%
- Free school meals
- 46%
Staff
- Teachers (FTE)
- 61.1
- Teaching assistants (FTE)
- 16.5
- Leadership (FTE)
- 7
- Part-time teachers
- 17%
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Questions about The Link Academy
What is The Link Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted inspected The Link Academy on 19 May 2026 using a report card, which grades each area separately and gives no overall grade. The school met Ofsted's safeguarding standards. It was graded Strong standard for inclusion, for leadership and governance, for personal development and wellbeing and for attendance and behaviour; Expected standard for achievement and for curriculum and teaching.
How do I apply for a place at The Link Academy?
Apply through the council where you live by 31 October in your child's Year 6, for a place starting the following September. You apply to your home council even if The Link Academy is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day.
Does living near The Link Academy guarantee a place?
No. Distance only counts when The Link Academy has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its academy trust, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
How many pupils are at The Link Academy?
The Link Academy had 984 pupils aged 11 to 16 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 1,050. It is a mixed school with no sixth form, so students move on at 16.
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