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Schools across Birmingham

Local authority · 517 schools across 12 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Birmingham →

Schools in Birmingham (517)

Showing 20 of 517 schools

Total Schools

517

291 primary · 89 secondary

Total Pupils

207,893

91% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

152

23 outstanding · 129 good

Capacity

227,900

20,007 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

129
357
Outstanding: 23
Good: 129
Requires Improvement: 8
Not inspected: 357

Best Schools in Birmingham

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

40.1

GCSE Eng+Maths

39.9%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

88% full
102,769 pupils116,174 capacity

13,405 spare places

Secondary Schools

97% full
79,719 pupils82,477 capacity

2,758 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

7.0%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

20.0%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

387

2024/25

Absence trend across Birmingham schools

5%
18/19
5.8%
20/21
7.8%
21/22
7.9%
22/23
7.4%
23/24
7%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

34%

Plans Issued

1,543

Assessment Requests

2,726

Tribunal Cases

81

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

64%
2019
48%
2020
55%
2021
63%
2022
59%
2023
27%
2024
34%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

17,335 admissions

296

Lodged

(1.7%)

179

Heard

14

Successful

(8%)

Primary (infant classes)

14,338 admissions

157

Lodged

(1.1%)

97

Heard

4

Successful

(4%)

Secondary

18,120 admissions

935

Lodged

(5.2%)

674

Heard

80

Successful

(12%)

Total

35,455 admissions

1,231

Lodged

(3.5%)

853

Heard

94

Successful

(11%)

Total appeals lodged per year

3519
2019
3824
2020
3941
2021
3234
2022
3752
2023
3165
2024
3184
2025
2619
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Birmingham

Birmingham

469 schools

Sutton Coldfield

33 schools

BIRMINGHAM

3 schools

Edgbaston

3 schools

West Midlands

2 schools

Solihull

1 schools

SHARD END

1 schools

Kings Norton

1 schools

Erdington

1 schools

Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East

1 schools

SUTTON COLDFIELD

1 schools

London

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Birmingham

How many schools are there in Birmingham?

Birmingham has 517 open schools: 291 state primary, 96 state secondary or all-through, 42 independent, 49 special and 39 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Birmingham are rated Outstanding?

82 schools in Birmingham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Myles Academy, Al-Burhan Grammar School, Little Sutton Primary School, Wyndcliffe Primary School, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School and 77 more. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 438 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 SchoolLittle Sutton Primary SchoolWyndcliffe Primary SchoolBishop Vesey's Grammar School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Birmingham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 98 schools in Birmingham 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 Birmingham have the best SATs results?

Of the 264 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. Birmingham has 8 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 Birmingham?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Birmingham published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Acocks Green Primary School, 988 metres for 2023 entry; Allens Croft Primary School, 2076 metres for 2020 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Acocks Green Primary SchoolAllens Croft Primary School

Source: Birmingham admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Birmingham?

Apply to Birmingham 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables