Welcome from the Principal
As an ex-learner myself, it is a privilege and joy to be the Principal of The Link Academy. As a team and community, we have worked relentlessly to improve outcomes and give every learner who comes here the best possible opportunities to progress. The learners will tell you that my favourite saying is HARD WORK BEATS TALENT, as I truly believe that this instils a positive work ethic and mindset for all.
I am immensely proud of what we have achieved at The Link Academy so far. Since Progress 8 was reintroduced (post pandemic), The Link Academy has been at or above the National Average. We have also seen significant improvements in outcomes at Grade 4+ in English and Maths and Grade 5+ in English and Maths. Summer 2025, saw our best GCSE English results, with a fantastic 73% of learners leaving school with at least a Grade 4 and an incredible 61% of learners with at least a Grade 5! In fact, one in three learners achieved a TOP Grade 7-9 in English!
2025 also saw our best % of Grade 4’s in Maths, leading to 57% of Year 11 learners leaving our Academy with a pass grade in BOTH Maths and English! The Class of 2026 are now on track to get our best English and Maths results at Grade 5+, really highlighting the continued drive to change lives of our local young people.
Our Ofsted report in 2022 demonstrated that we were well on the way to achieving our aims. At the time, The Link Academy, leapt two grades to be rated as ‘Good’ across the board. Moving from ‘Special Measures’ to ‘Good’ in one go is an exceptional result only achieved by twelve other schools in the ten years prior to our inspection!
This school made an enormous difference in my life; I am extremely proud to be from the local area, and I want every learner to reach their full potential under our guidance. The young people who attend The Link Academy have now proven that they are good enough to achieve the top university, apprenticeship, and employment opportunities. In fact, in the last 5 years, we have had two Link learners accept places at The University of Oxford! We will continue to teach our learners to DREAM BIG and we will REWARD THEIR EFFORT to realise their ambitions.
We have a strong, stable, and highly capable team of Teachers and Associate Staff. This has significantly added to the performance of the school and the ability of the children to exceed their own expectations. We have a fully embedded and well-established rewards and behaviour system that maintains high standards for all. We have a broad and balanced curriculum, which is ambitious and strikes a good balance between delivering academic and vocational qualifications, alongside strong personal development, a behaviour curriculum, and wide opportunities for enrichment for all. Our careers programme begins in Year 7, to open learners’ eyes to the opportunities ahead of them.
When I joined the academy as Principal seven years ago, I relished the opportunity to change lives among the young people of Netherton and the surrounding area. In our next phase of our journey, we strive to exceed previous outcomes, and we are proud to now be the number one choice for our local families. We are truly giving our learners the education and opportunities that they deserve, and I invite you to visit us to see for yourselves!
Emma Edwards-Morgan - Principal