Baxter College, Kidderminster

In its own words: "Everyone is entitled to feel safe and happy in school. Everyone should feel known, valued and have someone to turn to. We should all have the opportunity to achieve our personal best, unlocking our potential. Learners should be supported and successful as individuals regardless of background. Everyone has a voice that contributes to the democratic running of the school."

In 2026, pupils at Baxter College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.4 in Worcestershire and 47 across England.

23% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Worcestershire and 47% in England.

That is down from 36.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.87: pupils made well 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 23.9, against 38.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 121 families put Baxter College as their first choice and 221 named it as one of their preferences, for 152 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Baxter College are Holy Trinity School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.2); King Charles I School (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.1); The Bewdley School (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.7); and Wolverley CofE Secondary School (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.8).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Baxter College.

Baxter College is one of 8 schools run by Severn Academies Educational Trust, an academy trust.

85 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Baxter College (as of September 2025): 62% would recommend the school, 65% say their child is happy there and 38% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (75%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (38%).

Of the 140 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 33 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 55% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

36.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Baxter College had 57 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Kidderminster Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John's Avenue (adjacent), 200 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Baxter College stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 281 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Worcestershire (78), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Baxter College issued 339 suspensions, 43.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Baxter College are St John's CofE Primary School (0.3 miles), Sutton Park Primary School (0.5 miles), Franche Primary School (0.6 miles) and St Catherine's CofE (VC) Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.