Best Schools in West Midlands

How many schools are there in West Midlands?

West Midlands has 1194 open schools: 783 state primary, 210 state secondary or all-through, 45 independent, 89 special and 67 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in West Midlands are rated Outstanding?

147 schools in West Midlands were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Al-Burhan Grammar School, Cherry Tree School, Grove Vale Primary School, Little Sutton Primary School, Wyndcliffe Primary School and 142 more. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 997 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.

Al-Burhan Grammar SchoolCherry Tree SchoolGrove Vale Primary SchoolLittle Sutton Primary SchoolWyndcliffe Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in West Midlands get the best GCSE results?

Of the 223 schools in West Midlands with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 80.5 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 79.5 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and 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. 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.

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for GirlsBishop Vesey's Grammar SchoolKing Edward VI Five Ways School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in West Midlands have the best SATs results?

4 of the 682 primary schools in West Midlands with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Clent Parochial Primary School; Cromwell Junior and Infant School; and St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Streetly. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Clent Parochial Primary SchoolCromwell Junior and Infant SchoolSt Anne's Catholic Primary School, Streetly

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in West Midlands?

Yes. West Midlands has 11 state grammar schools, including Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, 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 and King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Bishop Vesey's Grammar SchoolKing 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 Boys

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

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

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Alderbrook School, 1.685 miles for 2026 entry; Alderman's Green Primary School, 5.887 miles for 2026 entry; Arden, 3.28 miles for 2026 entry; Barr's Hill School, 1.83 miles for 2026 entry; Birches First School, 1.877 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 39 schools in West Midlands; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Alderbrook SchoolAlderman's Green Primary SchoolArdenBarr's Hill SchoolBirches First School

Source: Solihull admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in West Midlands?

Apply to your council - Birmingham, Walsall or Coventry, 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.