Arden Primary School, Birmingham
Arden Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Birmingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 275 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 1,291st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Arden Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Arden Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 94% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Birmingham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 85% in reading and 91% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Arden Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 81 families put Arden Primary School as their first choice and 181 named it as one of their preferences, for 90 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Arden Primary School are Greet Primary School (0.2 miles, Requires improvement, 68% reading, 66% maths); English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 78% reading, 73% maths); St John's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 58% reading, 65% maths); and Conway Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 61% reading, 69% maths).
Arden Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Greet Primary SchoolEnglish Martyrs' Catholic Primary SchoolSt John's CofE Primary SchoolConway Primary School
Who goes there
57.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 52.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (84%) and other ethnic groups (6%).
In 2026, 112 pupils (16.2%) received SEN support and 13 (1.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Small Heath Rail Station, about 970 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Johns Road (adjacent), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Arden Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Arden Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Arden Primary School are Ark Boulton Academy (0.1 miles), Yardleys School (0.8 miles), Ark Victoria Academy (0.9 miles) and Moseley School and Sixth Form (1 mile).
Ark Boulton AcademyYardleys SchoolArk Victoria AcademyMoseley School and Sixth Form
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Arden Primary School creates a safe, family-like community where children are happy and motivated to learn. Teachers prioritise reading from the earliest years and tailor support brilliantly for children with additional needs, ensuring every child makes strong progress. The school goes far beyond the classroom, offering visitors like authors and theatre groups, leadership roles for pupils, and a wide range of after-school activities.
Key Strengths
- Well-planned curriculum with clear essential knowledge and vocabulary that develops a love of learning
- Reading is prioritised from Nursery with high-quality phonics training ensuring all staff teach consistently well
- Support for pupils with special educational needs is well-structured and a real strength, with staff trained to deliver high-quality support
- Children get off to a strong start in early years with highly skilled staff and a well-planned curriculum
- Wide range of after-school activities and opportunities that both parents and pupils appreciate
Areas for Improvement
- Persistent absence rates remain high, preventing pupils from accessing valuable learning and building knowledge securely over time
- School has not yet established effective strategies to reduce persistent absence
- Not all pupils take full advantage of the many opportunities the school offers
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff, parents and pupils describing the school as a safe community where pupils feel supported.
Extracurricular Activities
Author visits, theatre groups, after-school activities, Young Leaders assemblies
Arden Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils feel safe, happy and ready to learn. The school's motto of 'every child, every opportunity' underpins a commitment to developing character and broadening pupils' awareness beyond the classroom.
At a Glance
57.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.6
Avg class size
28.2
Infant (KS1)
29.4
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Arden Primary School
Summer2
16 Jul 2026
Summer 1
2 Jun 2026
Spring 2
27 Mar 2026
Spring 1 26
26 Feb 2026
Aut 2 2025
19 Dec 2025
Autumn-1 2025
24 Oct 2025
From Arden Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Arden Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Arden Primary School.
- The Astute Childcare330m away · Not yet graded
- Our Little Journey390m away · Not yet graded
- Ackers Adventure Holiday Camp520m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Arden Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Birmingham. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Arden Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Arden Primary School is in Birmingham; for families living there:
- How to apply: Travel passes for 5 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 94
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 17
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 94 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 17 serious and 77 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 12 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Arden Primary School
Will you get a place at Arden Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Arden Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Arden Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Arden Primary School.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Arden Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Arden Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Birmingham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
636 pupils
630 places
6 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birmingham
Across Birmingham council
Places available
15,375
Applications
12,117
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
112
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
18.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
692
Total Pupils
365
Boys
327
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
21.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,340
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,962
Per pupil
£4517k
Total funding
£527k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.8%
Overall absence
18.5%
Persistent absence
572
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Arden Primary School
Questions parents ask about Arden Primary School
What are SATs results like at Arden Primary School?
Of the pupils at Arden Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is Arden Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Arden Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Arden Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Arden Primary School is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Arden Primary School?
Arden Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Arden Primary School?
Classes at Arden Primary School average 27.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Arden Primary School?
Arden Primary School has around 692 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Arden Primary School?
6.8% of sessions were missed at Arden Primary School in 2024/25. 18.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Arden Primary School?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Arden Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Arden Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Arden Primary School: The Astute Childcare (330m away, registered, not yet graded), Our Little Journey (390m away, registered, not yet graded) and Ackers Adventure Holiday Camp (520m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Arden Primary School's term dates?
Arden Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Birmingham. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Arden Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 94 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 17 serious and 77 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 12 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Arden Primary School?
Arden Primary School is at Baker Street, Sparkhill, Birmingham, West Midlands, B11 4SF.
Sources: Birmingham term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)