The Link Academy
Simms Lane, Dudley, DY2 0PB
1,013 pupils · 96% of 1,050 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- DUDLEY ACADEMIES TRUST
- Local authority
- Dudley
- Free school meals
- 51.2%
Ofsted
Strong standard (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Strong standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard |
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 19 May 2026, published 21 June 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 40.4 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 32.8% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 56.9% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 18.5% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.89 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 196 | 174 | 357 | 196 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 204 | 196 | 344 | 204 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 202 | 187 | 342 | 202 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 206 | 187 | 311 | 205 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 171 | 144 | 269 | 152 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 201 | 176 | 309 | 199 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 171 | 141 | 252 | 152 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 190 | 143 | 259 | 163 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Pegasus Academy 1.7 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- St James Academy 2.2 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- Ormiston Forge Academy 2.5 km · Standards maintained (2025)
- St Michael's Church of England High School 2.9 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Bishop Milner Catholic College 3.1 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Thorns Collegiate Academy 3.4 km · Requires improvement (2024) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.