WMG Academy Trust operates WMG Academy Coventry and WMG Academy Solihull, with the aim of encouraging young people to study science, technology, engineering and maths.
Working with businesses and the University of Warwick, we are able to offer students invaluable opportunities which are difficult to find anywhere else. 100% of students attending WMG Academy go straight on to university, advanced apprenticeships or work. That’s what sets us apart.
From the moment they walk through the door at a WMG Academy, students are offered a career-led education involving work placements, interactive industry activities and visits to businesses. Through our ‘business-like, business-led’ ethos, students understand how their learning relates to the real world and leave prepared for their future careers.
“We have some of the best companies and supply chains in our local area, and they all desperately need new talent and skills to help them grow. That is why the WMG Academy for Young Engineers is so important.”
The late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman, WMG
The WMG Academy for Young Engineers
The WMG Academy for Young Engineers Multi Academy Trust was formed in March 2015. Following the successful opening of the Coventry Academy in September 2014, the WMG Academy Trust opened its second Academy in September 2016 in North Solihull.
Formed between a partnership of the University of Warwick and with the support of national, regional and local businesses such as Jaguar Land Rover, National Grid, and Rolls-Royce, the Trust is committed to providing a better way of learning for the Engineers of the future.
The Trust is made up of members from industry including the MAKE UK, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the University of Warwick who have led the development of the WMG Academies and oversee their running from a strategic perspective. They are supported by a board of trustees and governors, all with relevant business and education experience, who shape the experience of our learners.
WMG Academy Coventry was rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2022 and WMG Academy Solihull was rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2019.
As well as a core curriculum at Key Stage 4, which includes GCSEs in the core subjects maths, science, English and Engineering Manufacture, students can select from options which include a modern foreign language, a humanities subject and free option subjects, such as art, computer science and business studies. In addition, all Key Stage 4 students can follow additional Level 2 Cambridge Nationals course in Engineering worth a further 2 GCSEs equivalent.
Students at Key Stage 5 can follow a flexible pathway bespoke to their needs. Students can opt to study 3 A Level subjects, Level 3 OCR Technical in Engineering worth the equivalent of 1 A-Level or a Level 3 BTEC Engineering qualification at Certificate Diploma or Extended Diploma level. Further BTEC qualifications are available in Art, Business, ICT and Science and students can mix qualifications to suit.
Our vision
We will ensure that our learners have raised aspirations that will provide the motivational drive to succeed. Strong employer and further and higher education links, as well as a professional ethos and culture, will ensure the learners will be in demand from employers.
Our unique status of working very closely with some of the biggest employers in the region means that we have shaped the curriculum from day one to ensure we produce learners with a professional ethos and culture that is in high demand in today’s working world.
Team working is the norm and learners work together to develop the skills that employers value. We are committed to developing team working, problem solving, creativity, leadership, communication, resilience and an ability to respond to change. As staff, it is our role to model those skills and behaviours to our learners in everything that we do.
WMG Academy for Young Engineers Coventry
Opened in September 2014 by Ratan Tata, the Coventry Academy has over 450 students on roll. Located close to the Westwood area in Canley and the University of Warwick, the Coventry Academy was designed with a large Engineering Hall filled with over £1M worth of specialist equipment. Three additional dedicated CAD/CAM areas allow industry standard software to be used by students in their Engineering projects.
WMG Academy Coventry has a highly successful sixth form, which is consistently at the top of the post-16 performance tables for the city.
Students at the Coventry Academy come from a wide catchment area which includes Solihull in the north through to Kenilworth, Warwick and Rugby in the south.
The Academy follows an 8.30am – 4.30pm timetable (Tuesday – Thursday) with enrichment opportunities offered to students that include football, F1 in schools, GreenPower and Engineering clubs, including the Royal Navy Engineering Challenge and the European Space Agency’s CanSat project. Students also have access to resources at Warwick University. On Mondays and Fridays students leave at 3.20pm.
You can find out more about WMG Academy Coventry here.
WMG Academy for Young Engineers Solihull
Opened in September 2016, the Solihull Academy boasts over £2M of specialist equipment and ICT and currently has over 400 students on roll. Developed along a similar open plan design to Coventry, the Solihull Academy occupies a slightly bigger footprint. The Academy is thriving on successful recruitment and currently has provision for five year groups including Year 10 to 13 and a Post-18 HNC cohort.
Dedicated ICT facilities include 3 CAD suites and student PC access in all teaching rooms giving unrivalled access to industry standard software. These facilities allow innovative teaching pedagogy through digital technologies. A large Engineering Hall, complemented by ‘Make and Do’ areas above, allows a flexible group-work approach to learning.
The Academy occupies land adjacent to the Chelmsley Wood shopping Centre, North Solihull, and draws from a wide catchment of East Birmingham, Solihull and North Warwickshire. The Solihull Academy follows the template of the 8.30am – 4.30pm working day used in the Coventry Academy (Tuesday – Thursday) and has the additional flexibility of incorporating some enrichment into the Academy day due to its close proximity to North Solihull Sports Centre and having its own multi-use games area and activity hall.
You can find out more about WMG Academy Solihull here.