Blackwater Academy

Blackwater Academy is designed for pupils who need a flexible route around social, emotional and mental-health needs. The Birmingham provision covers ages 12 to 20 and includes sixth-form study. Some pupils attend full time, while others join for short periods or selected days through arrangements involving their school and local authority.

The curriculum combines GCSE English language, English literature, mathematics, science, history and geography with A-level provision whose subjects can change. Personalised mentoring, in-house counselling, careers activity and the Phoenix Project add individual development to the academic route. Personal development plans give the programme a practical framework for setting goals and reviewing progress.

The November 2025 monitoring inspection confirmed a broad, flexible curriculum aligned with pupils' home schools and effective safeguarding; pupils reported feeling safe. It also identified significant limitations: assessment was not yet systematic or diagnostic enough, literacy gaps remained, and SEND provision was not consistently tailored to individual need. The checked standards were therefore not all met, including requirements concerning assessment and leadership oversight.

Referral begins with a school or local authority, followed by a meeting and tour, assessments and a probation period of up to two weeks. This is a commissioned, needs-led placement rather than a conventional open-entry application. A placement needs to be considered alongside the flexible support model and the standards that remained unmet in November 2025.