Grace Academy Darlaston

What Grace Academy Darlaston does

Grace Academy Darlaston is a state-funded secondary academy located on Herberts Park Road in Darlaston, Wednesbury, West Midlands, England, governed by Tove Learning Trust under Principal Henry Holland. The academy serves approximately 1,026 pupils aged 11–18 across Years 7–13, delivering GCSE qualifications through its Main Academy programme (Years 7–11) and A-Level and Level 3 vocational pathways through its Post-16 Sixth Form. Students follow the national curriculum augmented by a values-based character education programme grounded in Excellence, Potential, and Character, with 56.6% of pupils qualifying for Pupil Premium funding (versus a 25.7% national average).

Operations are supported by a standard EdTech stack: CPOMS for safeguarding records, MCAS (My Child at School) for the parent portal, and Microsoft SharePoint-based student and staff portals. The academy is Ofsted-rated 'Good' (April 2022) and holds multiple recognitions including the Sandwell Charter Mark, ACE Character Mark, Healthy Schools Award, and Quality in Careers Standard, with the Trauma Informed Award currently in progress. Pastoral provision includes a Designated Safeguarding Lead, SENCO, attendance team, mental health lead, and careers guidance aligned with the Gatsby benchmarks via an Annual Open Evening and UCAS support.

Revenue is generated exclusively through UK government funding: per-pupil base funding plus Pupil Premium supplements, with no tuition fees charged to families. Admissions for Year 7 placements flow through the Walsall Council coordinated admissions process, while mid-year transfers and Post-16 applications are managed directly by the academy through online forms. The Published Admission Number is 180 per year group, rising to 220 in September 2026 in support of the Local Authority. The academy is led by a 12-person leadership team including Principal, two Vice Principals, an Associate Vice Principal, four Assistant Principals, two Heads of Key Stage 3 and 4, and a Business Manager, supported by 52 staff overall.

Name

Grace Academy Darlaston

Legal name

Grace Academy Darlaston

Website

https://darlaston.graceacademy.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Grace Academy Darlaston is a state-funded secondary academy in West Midlands, England, serving ~1,026 pupils aged 11–18 under Tove Learning Trust. It delivers GCSE, A-Level and vocational programmes with values-based character education, funded by UK government per-pupil grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gifted Curriculum, Differentiation & Acceleration Support (EDAKALAD)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• GCSE preparation
• Post-16 education
• Character education
• Academy school

Headquarters

HQ city

Darlaston, Wednesbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grace Academy Darlaston is a state-funded secondary academy delivering education to pupils aged 11-18 across Years 7-13, including GCSE qualifications in the Main Academy (Years 7-11) and A-Level and Level 3 vocational pathways in the Post-16 Sixth Form. The offering is enhanced by a values-based character education programme, careers guidance with UCAS support, SEND and pastoral provision, and extra-curricular activities. It also operates an on-site catering service (Cucina) for students and staff.

Product overview

Grace Academy Darlaston operates as a secondary school with two main educational programs: the Main Academy (Years 7-11) providing secondary education culminating in GCSE qualifications, and the Post 16 (Sixth Form) offering A-Level and Level 3 vocational courses with UCAS and apprenticeship support. The academy also provides ancillary services including an on-site restaurant (Cucina) serving nutritious meals to students and staff. The school follows the national curriculum enhanced by character education, careers guidance, and extra-curricular activities as part of the Tove Learning Trust network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Disadvantaged 2025 A8 score: 36.3
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tove Learning TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTove Learning Trust is the multi-academy trust that governs Grace Academy Darlaston. The academy is part of a network of schools within the trust, benefiting from shared resources, school improvement support, and professional development opportunities. The trust provides strategic oversight, HR policies, and shared services including the TLT Application Forms for teaching and non-teaching positions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Aldridge School: A secondary school in the broader Walsall borough (Aldridge) drawing from overlapping transition feeder primary schools. Comparable curriculum and post-16 provision, competing for similar parental profiles.
• Shire Oak Academy: A Walsall-based academy providing secondary and post-16 education with a values-led ethos similar to Grace Academy. Direct competitor for the same disadvantaged-cohort families in the local area.
• Blue Coat Church of England Academy: A church-affiliated secondary school in Walsall directly competing for the same Year 7 intake pool. Similar values-based ethos and overlapping curriculum/co-curricular offering make it the most immediate local substitute for prospective parents.
• Barr Beacon School: Walsall secondary school drawing from the same Aldridge-Brownhills-Walsall catchment. Closely comparable academic profile, transition programs, and post-16 offerings — a direct enrollment competitor in the local market.
• Pool Hayes Academy: A secondary academy in the Willenhall/ Walsall area with a comparable Pupil Premium intake profile. Functions as a direct competitor for the same catchment of disadvantaged families.
• Queen Mary's Grammar School: Selective boys' grammar school in Walsall. While not a like-for-like match on admissions, it draws high-attaining pupils from the same catchment and shapes the competitive set that Grace Academy must differentiate against at the top of the attainment band.
• Joseph Leckie Academy: A larger secondary academy in Walsall serving a broadly similar socio-economic intake. Direct competitor for the same pool of Year 7 applicants and comparable post-16 provision, with overlapping Pupil Premium demographics.
• Grace Academy Coventry: Grace Academy Coventry sits within the same Tove Learning Trust as Grace Academy Darlaston and shares the Grace Academies brand, values framework, and operating model. It directly competes for the same faith-and-values-led secondary school positioning in the West Midlands region.

Broad incumbents

• Windsor Academy Trust: A West Midlands-based multi-academy trust operating several secondary schools in similar socio-economic catchments. Comparable as a peer trust in scale, structure, and the challenges of running academies with high Pupil Premium populations.
• Tove Learning Trust (parent multi-academy trust): The multi-academy trust that governs Grace Academy Darlaston alongside other schools. Comparable as a broader operating entity in the same trust structure, with shared services, governance, and benchmarking against similar academies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grace-academy-darlaston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grace Academy Darlaston