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Schools across Sandwell

Local authority · 134 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 Sandwell (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 Sandwell (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

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

Schools in Sandwell (134)

Showing 20 of 134 schools

Total Schools

134

93 primary · 22 secondary

Total Pupils

62,730

94% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

37

4 outstanding · 33 good

Capacity

66,704

3,974 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

33
97
Outstanding: 4
Good: 33
Not inspected: 97

Best Schools in Sandwell

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

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

34.9

GCSE Eng+Maths

28.8%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

94% full
35,165 pupils37,313 capacity

2,148 spare places

Secondary Schools

93% full
25,863 pupils27,798 capacity

1,935 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.4%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

17.8%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

119

2024/25

Absence trend across Sandwell schools

4.4%
18/19
4.4%
20/21
7.2%
21/22
7.2%
22/23
6.7%
23/24
6.4%
24/25

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

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

26%

Plans Issued

1,024

Assessment Requests

1,286

Tribunal Cases

13

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

75%
2019
69%
2020
75%
2021
49%
2022
32%
2023
23%
2024
26%
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

5,332 admissions

79

Lodged

(1.5%)

55

Heard

1

Successful

(2%)

Primary (infant classes)

4,455 admissions

78

Lodged

(1.8%)

55

Heard

1

Successful

(2%)

Secondary

5,215 admissions

349

Lodged

(6.7%)

278

Heard

34

Successful

(12%)

Total

10,547 admissions

428

Lodged

(4.1%)

333

Heard

35

Successful

(11%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1287
2019
1375
2020
1987
2021
1275
2022
1362
2023
1576
2024
1298
2025
934
2026

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

Towns in Sandwell

West Bromwich

26 schools

Oldbury

25 schools

Smethwick

20 schools

Tipton

19 schools

Wednesbury

15 schools

Birmingham

9 schools

Rowley Regis

8 schools

Cradley Heath

7 schools

West Midlands

2 schools

Lichfield

1 schools

Oldbury, Sandwell

1 schools

Walsall

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Sandwell

How many schools are there in Sandwell?

Sandwell has 134 open schools: 93 state primary, 22 state secondary or all-through, 7 independent, 8 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Sandwell are rated Outstanding?

17 schools in Sandwell were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Grove Vale Primary School, Old Park Primary School, Bristnall Hall Academy, Shireland Technology Primary, St Gregory's Catholic Primary School and 12 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 118 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.

Grove Vale Primary SchoolOld Park Primary SchoolBristnall Hall AcademyShireland Technology PrimarySt Gregory's Catholic Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Sandwell get the best GCSE results?

Of the 21 schools in Sandwell with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bristnall Hall Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.6 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Q3 Academy Langley, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.4 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Sandwell Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 49 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bristnall Hall AcademyQ3 Academy LangleySandwell Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Sandwell have the best SATs results?

Of the 84 primary schools in Sandwell with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St John Bosco Catholic Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths); Whitecrest Primary School (94% in reading, 90% in maths); and Grove Vale Primary School (90% in reading, 92% 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.

St John Bosco Catholic Primary SchoolWhitecrest Primary SchoolGrove Vale Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Sandwell?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Sandwell selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Sandwell have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Sandwell have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Sandwell allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Sandwell?

Apply to Sandwell 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