Cotwall End School from its inception in 1962 always prided itself in the very high academic standards (compared to local primary schools) it set itself and its pupils. When the 11-plus examination was in place in the school's early years, the majority of the school's pupils passed the exam to attend High Arcal Grammar School, although with the introduction of comprehensive education in the Dudley borough from September 1975, pupils attended Dormston or High Arcal, depending which school's catchment area they lived in. Since the 1990s, however, many pupils leaving the school have transferred to a number of other secondary schools due to a relaxation of catchment area regulations.