Best secondary schools in Walsall: A complete 2026 guide

Walsall sits at the northern edge of the West Midlands conurbation, with a mix of selective grammar schools, large comprehensives and a small number of specialist provisions. The borough is well-known regionally for its two single-sex grammars, both with a long history in the area, and for a broad set of state secondaries that serve a substantial population.

This guide is for parents weighing up secondary options in Walsall, with notes on the 11+ entry route and the local admissions process. The aim is to give a clear starting point for further research, not a strict ranking. Visit in person, talk to current parents and check the most recent Ofsted reports before settling on a decision.

We have based this list on schools with a long track record of strong results, positive Ofsted reputations and consistent demand from local families. We have mixed selective grammars and non-selective state schools so that the list works whatever route you are considering.

We have not invented Ofsted ratings or specific exam results. Where we describe a school's strengths we have used qualitative language based on widely reported information. You should always check the most recent Ofsted report and the Department for Education's compare-school-performance service before making a decision.

Walsall has a limited independent sector within the borough itself. Families looking at private secondary education usually consider schools in neighbouring areas, including Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, where King Edward's School, King Edward VI High School for Girls and Bromsgrove School all serve a wider catchment.

If you are seriously considering private education, factor in the daily commute alongside the fees. A long bus or train journey at the start and end of every school day adds up over seven years, especially during exam season when energy matters most.

Many families in Walsall who want a selective setting choose the borough's two grammars over the independent sector. The grammars are state-funded, so there are no fees, and the academic results sit alongside the leading independents in the West Midlands. That makes the private versus grammar choice in Walsall less common than in some other parts of the country.

Walsall is a partial grammar area. The borough has two single-sex selective state schools, both run as Mercian Trust academies. Entry to both is by the 11+ test, sat in September of Year 6, and demand typically exceeds supply each year. Like other West Midlands grammars, the cohort entering Year 7 tends to sit well above the national average.

Queen Mary's Grammar School is a boys' state grammar in Walsall, founded in 1554 from a royal charter. It is one of the longer-established schools in the West Midlands.

The school is known for consistently strong GCSE and A-Level results and a wide subject offer. Entry is by the Walsall consortium 11+ test.

Queen Mary's High School is a girls' state grammar in Walsall, founded in 1893 as the sister school to Queen Mary's Grammar School. It runs alongside its longer-established brother school within the same Mercian Trust.

The school is known for a similar academic profile to its sister grammar, with selective entry through the 11+ test and a popular sixth form. Both Queen Mary's schools draw applicants from Walsall and the wider West Midlands.

Most pupils in Walsall attend non-selective state secondaries. The borough has a wide range of academies and community schools serving very different catchments, and the picture varies considerably across the borough. Admissions are normally based on distance from the school, with sibling links and other published criteria applied first.

Aldridge is a co-educational state academy in Aldridge, in the eastern part of the borough. It serves a large catchment across the Aldridge and Brownhills area.

The school is known for a long-standing reputation as one of the more popular non-selective options in Walsall. It runs a wide subject offer at GCSE and A-Level, with a sixth form that draws students from across the borough. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

The Streetly Academy is a co-educational state academy in Streetly, on the southern edge of the borough. It serves families from across the Aldridge and Streetly area.

The school is known for a strong sixth form offer and a broad subject curriculum. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

Ormiston Shelfield is a co-educational state academy in Shelfield, run by the Ormiston Academies Trust. It serves a sizeable catchment in the north of the borough.

The school is known for a wide GCSE and A-Level curriculum and a structured pastoral programme. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

Joseph Leckie is a co-educational state academy in The Delves, just south of Walsall town centre. It runs a wide curriculum with a long-standing sixth form.

The school is known for a focus on widening participation in further and higher education. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

St Francis of Assisi is a co-educational Catholic state secondary in Aldridge. It is one of the main Catholic options for families in the borough.

The school is known for a clear faith ethos and a strong record of pastoral support. Admission gives priority to baptised Catholic children, with a published faith-based oversubscription policy.

Walsall Studio School is a smaller co-educational state school with a specialist focus. It offers a curriculum aimed at students with strong vocational and applied interests alongside GCSEs.

The school is known for project-based learning and partnerships with local employers. Admission is non-selective and is open to applicants from across the borough.

Open days and league tables only tell you so much. The right school for one child is often the wrong school for another, and the things that matter most are rarely visible in headline data. Walk the route from your home to the school in school hours. Sit in on an open day and watch how staff and pupils interact when they think nobody is paying close attention.

Think about practical factors too. Subject offer at GCSE and A-Level, commute time, pastoral support and the school's response when things go wrong all tend to matter more than headline results in the long run. One of the more useful questions to ask is what the school does for the average pupil, not what it does for its top set.

Walsall state school admissions are co-ordinated through Walsall Council. You list up to six schools in order of preference and submit by 31 October in Year 6, for entry the following September. National offer day is 1 March.

If your child is sitting the Walsall 11+, you register separately with the Mercian Trust in the summer before Year 6 and sit the test that September. The test covers English and Maths under timed conditions, and qualifying scores vary year to year depending on the cohort. Test results feed into the grammars' oversubscription criteria.

If your child is not offered a place at any of your preferred schools, you will be offered the nearest school with availability and can join waiting lists for the schools you preferred. You also have the right to appeal, although appeals at heavily oversubscribed grammars and comprehensives are difficult to win.