Mary Elliot Academy Receives Positive Ofsted Report In Remarkable Turnaround for Walsall Special School
Headteacher Rebecca Davies with a Mary Elliot Academy pupil enjoying the playground.
A school which supports some of the region's most complex young learners has received a glowing Ofsted report, with inspectors praising the quality of its education, its inclusive culture and the warm relationships at the heart of school life.
The result marks a remarkable turnaround for the Leamore Lane school, which was rated Inadequate by Ofsted in March 2022. The school converted to academy status and joined Thrive Education Partnership in April 2023, beginning a period of significant improvement under new leadership.
Mary Elliot supports pupils aged 11 to 18 with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, and autism, with all 142 pupils holding an education, health and care plan. Following an inspection in February 2026, the academy was judged to be meeting the expected standard across all areas, including achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Safeguarding standards were also confirmed as met.
Inspectors found the school to be "calm and orderly," with staff building "warm, trusting relationships" that help pupils feel "safe, valued and ready to take part in school life." The report highlighted the school's highly personalised approach to communication, with staff using pictures, symbols, signing and visual prompts so that every pupil can express themselves, engage with learning and feel a genuine sense of belonging.
Progress on attendance was singled out for recognition, with inspectors noting that persistent absence is reducing over time as leaders work closely with families to remove the barriers that can make attending school harder, a significant achievement given the complexity of the pupils the school serves.
The post-16 provision drew particular praise. Inspectors found that students are well supported to develop the independence and practical life skills they need for the future, and that students typically leave Mary Elliot "confident, capable and ready for adult life."
Rebecca Davies, Headteacher of Mary Elliot Academy, said: "Every day at Mary Elliot I see the most incredible things. I see pupils who face enormous challenges finding their voice, building their confidence and achieving things that matter deeply to them and to their families. This report reflects the commitment of every single member of our team to making this school a place where every young person feels they belong. We are incredibly proud."
Richard Chapman, Chief Executive of Thrive Education Partnership, said: "When Mary Elliot Academy joined Thrive, we inherited a school that had faced significant challenges and we made a commitment to the young people, their families and the wider community that we would turn that around. To see inspectors now recognise what Rebecca and her team have built here, a school where every pupil is known, valued and supported to achieve their very best, fills me with enormous pride. This is exactly what Thrive exists to do."
Mary Elliot Academy is part of Thrive Education Partnership, a multi-academy trust specialising in special educational needs and disabilities education, with schools across the West Midlands and Warwickshire.
The full Ofsted inspection report for Mary Elliot Academy is available via this link.
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