Arena Academy, Birmingham
Arena Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Birmingham, part of Core Education Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 55th-highest of the 91 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 2,215th of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Arena Academy in detail
Arena Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Arena Academy is a school of opportunity, where students develop, succeed and thrive. In our Arena of dreams, we work as a team to open the doors to our students’ future aspiration and success."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, athletics, basketball, dance, drama, guitar, chess, coding and cooking.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Arena Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.5 in Birmingham and 47 across England.
36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Birmingham and 47% in England.
That is down from 44.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.36: pupils made below 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 37.2, against 46.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Arena Academy
For September 2026 entry, 123 families put Arena Academy as their first choice and 479 named it as one of their preferences, for 164 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 secondary schools to Arena Academy are Fortis Academy (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.4); Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 48); E-ACT North Birmingham Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.2); and Prince Albert High School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6).
Arena Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Fortis AcademyCardinal Wiseman Catholic SchoolE-ACT North Birmingham AcademyPrince Albert High School
The trust
Arena Academy is one of 4 schools run by Core Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.5 in 2024/25.
What parents say
59 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Arena Academy (as of September 2025): 64% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (76%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (55%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 233 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 70% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
41.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 183 pupils (18.9%) received SEN support and 8 (0.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hamstead Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Perry Beeches School (adjacent), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 245 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Arena Academy issued 196 suspensions, 18.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Arena Academy are Beeches Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Glenmead Primary School (0.4 miles), Barr View Primary & Nursery Academy (0.4 miles) and Calshot Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Beeches Primary SchoolGlenmead Primary SchoolBarr View Primary & Nursery AcademyCalshot Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Arena Academy has transformed into a welcoming school where pupils feel safe, respected, and proud of their diverse community. Teachers are well-trained and create lessons with clear explanations and engaging activities, while the school's ambitious curriculum ensures all pupils, including those with special needs, can access quality learning. The school prioritises reading support and offers excellent careers guidance to help pupils prepare for their future.
Key Strengths
- Significant overall improvement with high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
- Well-trained teachers with strong subject knowledge who provide clear explanations and engaging activities
- Ambitious, carefully sequenced curriculum with appropriate breadth and depth, plus good career pathways at key stage 4
- Strong focus on reading with systematic support for pupils who have fallen behind
- Effective personal development and careers programme that prepares pupils well for life after school
- Excellent behaviour improvements with considerably reduced suspensions and much better attendance
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment practices are inconsistent across lessons - some teachers do not effectively check understanding or address misconceptions, limiting pupil progress
- Need to embed current assessment strategies consistently so all pupils build strong knowledge and understanding
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective with staff understanding their role in keeping pupils safe and knowing what actions to take if they have concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, trips, leadership roles
Arena Academy has significantly improved since its previous inspection and now provides a good quality of education. The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and has created a safe, respectful environment where pupils behave well and feel proud of their diverse community.
About
Arena Academy, formally known as the Perry Beeches Academy, is a coeducational secondary school located in the Perry Beeches area of Birmingham in the West Midlands of England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
41.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
59 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.25 to -0.36 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has remained stable at around 42.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 36% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.7 | 35.9% |
| Disadvantaged(85) | - | 37.2 | 27.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(121) | - | 46.6 | 42.1% |
| Boys(117) | - | 41.0 | 38.5% |
| Girls(89) | - | 44.9 | 32.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(33) | - | 48.6 | 60.6% |
| Non mobile(201) | - | 42.5 | 35.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 6 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 233 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
196
Suspensions
18.86%
Suspension rate
109 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,039 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Arena Academy
Term dates
Arena Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Birmingham's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Arena Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Arena Academy 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
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 21 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Arena Academy
Will you get a place at Arena Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Arena Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Arena Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Arena Academy.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Arena Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Arena Academy for 2018 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
99%
Near capacity
1,041 pupils
1,050 places
9 spare places 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
14,956
Applications
14,483
Got 1st preference
75.7%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
183
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
969
Total Pupils
494
Boys
475
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
62
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,664
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,486
Per pupil
£9453k
Total funding
£420k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.8%
Overall absence
23.4%
Persistent absence
1,092
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Arena Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Arena Academy
What are GCSE results like at Arena Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Arena Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.7. 36% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Arena Academy's Ofsted rating?
Arena Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Arena Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Arena Academy is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Arena Academy?
Arena Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Arena Academy?
Classes at Arena Academy average 23.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Arena Academy?
Arena Academy has around 969 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Arena Academy?
7.8% of sessions were missed at Arena Academy in 2024/25. 23.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Arena Academy?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Arena Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Arena Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 21 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Arena Academy?
Arena Academy is at Beeches Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, B42 2PY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)