City United Academy (CUA), Birmingham
City United Academy (CUA) is an independent school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Birmingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
City United Academy (CUA) in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to City United Academy (CUA) are Orion School (0.8 miles, Good); Flexible Learning School (0.8 miles, Good); Mander Portman Woodward Independent College (0.9 miles); and West House School (0.9 miles).
Orion SchoolFlexible Learning SchoolMander Portman Woodward Independent CollegeWest House School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at City United Academy (CUA) has an education, health and care plan (27 of 27 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Centenary Square (West Midlands Metro), about 450 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Townsend Way (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1719 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- 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 managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
City United Academy excels at welcoming pupils who have struggled in mainstream education and helping them thrive. Staff are exceptionally skilled at building positive relationships, supporting emotional wellbeing, and helping pupils catch up academically after periods of missed schooling. Parents consistently praise the school for its transformative impact on their child's education and confidence.
Key Strengths
- Extremely positive relationships and supportive culture where pupils feel genuinely cared for and listened to
- Skilled staff who help pupils overcome anxiety and manage behaviour, resulting in calm lessons and harmonious breaktimes
- Well-implemented broad curriculum with targeted catch-up sessions that help pupils address knowledge gaps from missed education
- Strong focus on reading across the curriculum using high-quality texts that broaden pupils' cultural understanding
- Comprehensive personal development including careers guidance, work experience, sports activities and mental health support
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack precision in identifying what pupils need to know and remember, which means pupils don't develop the same depth of knowledge across all subjects
- School should ensure it clearly defines the most important knowledge for every area of the curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open culture where pupils feel safe and their interests are prioritized.
Extracurricular Activities
Swimming, football, gym, local football clubs, air cadets, work experience, college and apprenticeship visits
City United Academy is a Good independent school that specializes in educating pupils aged 11-18 who have had negative experiences of school in the past. The school creates a warm, caring environment where pupils with SEND feel safe, happy and supported to achieve well.
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 City United Academy (CUA)
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 34 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
54%
Available places
27 pupils
50 places
23 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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
27
Total Pupils
22
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
City United Academy (CUA)
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about City United Academy (CUA)
What is City United Academy (CUA)'s Ofsted rating?
City United Academy (CUA) was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025.
Does City United Academy (CUA) meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, City United Academy (CUA) met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to City United Academy (CUA)?
City United Academy (CUA) has around 27 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to City United Academy (CUA)?
City United Academy (CUA) 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 City United Academy (CUA)?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 34 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 City United Academy (CUA)?
City United Academy (CUA) is at 10 Edward Street, Birmingham, Birmingham, B1 2RX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)