Thorns Collegiate Academy Catchment Area
Thorns Collegiate Academy is an academy sponsor led secondary school in Brierley Hill, Dudley , serving pupils aged 11-16, with 895 pupils, and a capacity of 1000 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
11-16
Age range
895
Pupils
1,000
Capacity
90%
Fill rate
Requires improvement
Ofsted 2024
Thorns Collegiate Academy Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Thorns Collegiate Academy?
The catchment area for Thorns Collegiate Academy is the geographic zone Dudley uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Dudley publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
As an academy, Thorns Collegiate Academy sets its own admissions criteria, agreed with Dudley. The catchment area boundary is defined in the school's annual admissions policy, which may differ from the LA's general school admissions arrangements.
Get an alert if Thorns Collegiate Academy goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Dudley before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Dudley catchment area documents →Thorns Collegiate Academy: 1000 places, 90% filled: nearing capacity
Thorns Collegiate Academy has a published admission number of 1000 places. 895 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 90%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 1000, Dudley's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 34.5% of pupils at Thorns Collegiate Academy are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Dudley.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Dudley publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Find Dudley school admissions →
Thorns Collegiate Academy: School Information
- Full address
- Stockwell Avenue, Brierley Hill, DY5 2NU
- Local authority
- Dudley
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase of education
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11-16 years
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 34.5% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 143818
Nearest secondary schools by distance
These are the secondary schools closest to Thorns Collegiate Academy by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Thorns Collegiate Academy
What is the catchment area for Thorns Collegiate Academy? ▾
The catchment area for Thorns Collegiate Academy is the geographic zone Dudley uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Dudley publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is Thorns Collegiate Academy oversubscribed? ▾
Thorns Collegiate Academy is operating close to its capacity of 1000 places (90% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for Thorns Collegiate Academy? ▾
Admission to Thorns Collegiate Academy is managed by Dudley. When oversubscribed, places go to looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment area distance. Always verify the current policy with the council before applying.
What age range does Thorns Collegiate Academy cover? ▾
Thorns Collegiate Academy is a secondary school in Brierley Hill, Dudley, serving pupils aged 11-16. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for Thorns Collegiate Academy? ▾
Thorns Collegiate Academy was rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in 2024. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.