Best Schools in Birmingham

How many schools are there in Birmingham?

Birmingham has 523 open schools: 301 state primary, 101 state secondary or all-through, 35 independent, 47 special and 39 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Birmingham are rated Outstanding?

79 schools in Birmingham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Myles Academy, Al-Burhan Grammar School, Grove Vale Primary School, Wyndcliffe Primary School, Oscott Academy and 74 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 440 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Myles AcademyAl-Burhan Grammar SchoolGrove Vale Primary SchoolWyndcliffe Primary SchoolOscott Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Birmingham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 102 schools in Birmingham with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at King Edward VI Five Ways School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 79.3 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.8 and 97% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.4 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

King Edward VI Five Ways SchoolKing Edward VI Camp Hill School for GirlsKing Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Birmingham have the best SATs results?

Of the 271 primary schools in Birmingham with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Cromwell Junior and Infant School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); St James Catholic Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); and The Olive School, Small Heath (100% in reading, 98% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Cromwell Junior and Infant SchoolSt James Catholic Primary SchoolThe Olive School, Small Heath

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Birmingham?

Yes. King Edward VI Aston School, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, King Edward VI Five Ways School, King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys and King Edward VI Handsworth School are state grammar schools in Birmingham. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

King Edward VI Aston SchoolKing Edward VI Camp Hill School for BoysKing Edward VI Camp Hill School for GirlsKing Edward VI Five Ways SchoolKing Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for BoysKing Edward VI Handsworth School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Birmingham?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Solihull, Birmingham and Worcestershire published how far the last place offered went at these schools: John Henry Newman Catholic College, 2.42 miles for 2026 entry; Park Hall Academy, 0.98 miles for 2026 entry; Acocks Green Primary School, 988 metres for 2023 entry; Beaconside Primary and Nursery School, 0.703 miles for 2021 entry; Crown Meadow First School & Nursery, 0.851 miles for 2021 entry. We hold figures for 8 schools in Birmingham; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

John Henry Newman Catholic CollegePark Hall AcademyAcocks Green Primary SchoolBeaconside Primary and Nursery SchoolCrown Meadow First School & Nursery

Source: Solihull admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Birmingham?

Apply to your council - Birmingham, Solihull or Sandwell, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.