Arden, Solihull

In its own words: "Arden is an ambitious, successful and inclusive school where every student is known, valued and supported to achieve their very best. At the heart of our school is the Arden Family : a community built on strong relationships, high expectations and a genuine commitment to helping every young person flourish."

Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 19 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Arden averaged an Attainment 8 score of 59.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.4 in Solihull and 47 across England.

71% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Solihull and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 59.6.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.59: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 47.1, against 61 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 31 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Business Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 307 families put Arden as their first choice and 899 named it as one of their preferences, for 315 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 32 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Arden are St Peter's Catholic School (2.6 miles, Attainment 8 53.7); Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull (2.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59.1); Alderbrook School (2.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.4); and Lode Heath School (3.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7).

Arden's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Arden is one of 6 schools run by Arden Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.5 in 2024/25.

Of the 304 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 23% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 154 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 65% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 18% into work. 38% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

10.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (72%), Asian (11%) and Mixed (5%).

In 2026, 298 pupils (16.4%) received SEN support and 24 (1.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Dorridge Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lodge Road (opposite), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Arden stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 52 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Solihull (226).

In 2024/25, Arden issued 58 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Arden are Knowle Church of England Primary Academy (0.4 miles), St George and St Teresa Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles), Dorridge Primary School (0.7 miles) and Bentley Heath Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.