The Link Academy, based in Dudley, provides secondary education, serving pupils aged 11 to 16. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
The Link Academy currently has around 1014 pupils on roll, which is about 97% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 49.3% boys and 50.7% girls. Around 49.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 11.1%. Persistent absence is recorded at 34.2%.
The school has a diverse intake, with white british pupils forming the largest group at around 46.9%. pakistani pupils make up about 24.6%
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Simms Lane, Dudley, DY2 0PB |
| Website: | www.thelinkacademy.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01384986550 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Dudley |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Emma Edwards-Morgan |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 144952 |
Ofsted inspection date: 08/02/2022
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 16 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1050 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1014 |
| Number of Boys: | 500 |
| Number of Girls: | 514 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 11.1% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 34.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 46.90% | 476 |
| Pakistani | 24.60% | 249 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 5.00% | 51 |
| African | 4.70% | 48 |
| Other White | 3.40% | 34 |
| Other Mixed | 3.10% | 31 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.80% | 28 |
| Unclassified | 2.30% | 23 |
| White and Asian | 1.80% | 18 |
| Other Asian | 1.20% | 12 |
| Caribbean | 1.10% | 11 |
| Indian | 1.00% | 10 |
| White and Black African | 0.80% | 8 |
| Other Black | 0.70% | 7 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.40% | 4 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.30% | 3 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherton Park Nursery School Netherton Park , Netherton DY2 9QF | 4out of 4 | 506 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Cradley Heath Nursery School Graingers Lane , B64 6AH | - not rated | 2,738 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield Road Primary School Northfield Road , Netherton DY2 9ER | - not rated | 543 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Northfield Road Primary School Northfield Road , Netherton DY2 9ER | 2out of 4 | 548 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Netherton CofE Primary School Highbridge Road , Netherton DY2 0HU | 3out of 4 | 583 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Netherton CofE Primary School Highbridge Road , Netherton DY2 0HU | - not rated | 583 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Sledmere Primary School The School Drive , Off Buffery Road DY2 8EH | - not rated | 1,101 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherton CofE Middle School Church Road , Netherton DY2 0LY | - not rated | 442 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hillcrest School and Community College Simms Lane , Netherton DY2 0PB | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Link Academy Simms Lane , Netherton DY2 0PB | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Sir Gilbert Claughton School Blowers Green Road , DY2 8UZ | - not rated | 1,461 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Holly Hall Maths and Computing College Scotts Green Close , Russells Hall Estate DY1 2DU | - not rated | 1,869 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Pegasus Academy Scotts Green Close , DY1 2DU | 2out of 4 | 1,869 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley College of Technology The Broadway , DY1 4AS | - not rated | 2,641 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Rowley Regis College Hawes Lane , B65 9AH | - not rated | 2,949 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Training Unit 14 Primrose Hill Trading Estate , Cradley Road DY2 9SA | - not rated | 876 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Abberley Street Pupil Referral Unit Abberley Street , DY2 8QY | - not rated | 1,747 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Stephenson House School 292 Stourbridge Road , Holly Hall DY1 2EE | - not rated | 1,891 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Sutton School Scotts Green Close , Russells Hall Estate DY1 2DU | 3out of 4 | 1,924 yd | Foundation special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Knowle School Dudley Road , B65 8JY | - not rated | 2,400 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.