Blackwater Academy, Birmingham
Blackwater Academy is an independent school for pupils aged 12 to 20 in Birmingham. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Blackwater Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Blackwater Academy are Riverside Education (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Hamd House School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); Darul Uloom Islamic High School (2.1 miles, selective); and Greenfields Primary School (2.1 miles, Good).
Riverside EducationHamd House SchoolDarul Uloom Islamic High SchoolGreenfields Primary School
Who goes there
In 2026, 2 pupils (11.8%) received SEN support and 3 (17.6%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stechford Rail Station, about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Elizabeth Road (opposite), 290 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blackwater Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 23 June 2026: The school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school excels at understanding each pupil's individual needs and adapting teaching to help them progress quickly and build confidence. Leadership is focused on putting pupil wellbeing and learning outcomes at the heart of everything, with systems now in place to monitor impact regularly. Pupils feel safe and cared for, which is reflected in their improving attendance and motivation.
Key Strengths
- Systematic and diagnostic assessment now effectively identifies pupils' starting points and informs personalised learning
- Well-designed spiral curriculum with topic-led schemes of work that builds complexity over time and supports pupils with gaps
- Strong focus on reading skills development across all subjects with regular detailed assessment shared with teachers
- Leaders have embedded consistent monitoring focused on pupil wellbeing and progress, with clear impact on motivation and achievement
- Safe, caring culture where pupils feel supported and attendance improves significantly upon joining
Safeguarding
Safeguarding continues to be effective - the school has a strong safeguarding culture with staff vigilant in identifying concerns and using agreed reporting systems to ensure information is carefully shared and analysed.
Blackwater Academy is an independent school for pupils aged 12-20 with social, emotional and mental health needs. Following previous inspection failures, the school has made significant progress and now meets all independent school standards.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Blackwater Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 88
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 88 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 78 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
28%
Available places
17 pupils
60 places
43 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(9)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
29.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
17
Total Pupils
12
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Blackwater Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Blackwater Academy
What is Blackwater Academy's Ofsted rating?
Blackwater Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Blackwater Academy meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Blackwater Academy did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in June 2026, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Blackwater Academy?
Blackwater Academy has around 17 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Blackwater Academy?
Blackwater Academy is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Blackwater Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 88 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 78 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Blackwater Academy?
Blackwater Academy is at 14 Riverside Drive, Stechford, Birmingham, B33 9BF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)