Colmers School and Sixth Form College, Birmingham

Ofsted's report card from its 3 March 2026 inspection grades Colmers School and Sixth Form College on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as other disadvantaged pupils nationally in key stage 4 examinations."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have placed a high priority on improving pupils' attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a well-planned curriculum for pupils that is ambitious and meets their needs."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all aspects of school life."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The school is well led and managed."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders understand the school community and recognise that many pupils are disadvantaged."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have created an ambitious and well-designed curriculum for sixth-form students."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to work to remove barriers to regular attendance for some pupils so that the number of pupils attending regularly continues to increase"; "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is delivered to a consistently high standard so that pupils are equipped to achieve consistently well, including in national examinations".

In 2026, pupils at Colmers School and Sixth Form College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.5 in Birmingham and 47 across England.

25% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Birmingham and 47% in England.

That is down from 41.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.32: 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 33.5, against 44.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 119 families put Colmers School and Sixth Form College as their first choice and 582 named it as one of their preferences, for 150 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Colmers School and Sixth Form College are King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.5); Waseley Hills High School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39.7); Turves Green Boys' School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.8); and King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls (1.5 miles, Attainment 8 45.3).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Colmers School and Sixth Form College.

45 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Colmers School and Sixth Form College (as of April 2026): 64% would recommend the school, 67% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (71%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (51%).

Of the 236 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

Of the 38 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 53% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 16% into work. 4% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

54.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (66%), Mixed (14%) and Black (11%).

In 2026, 265 pupils (23.3%) received SEN support and 14 (1.2%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Longbridge Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Colmers Farm School (outside), 70 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 282 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).

In 2024/25, Colmers School and Sixth Form College issued 820 suspensions, 69.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Colmers School and Sixth Form College are Colmers Farm Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Rednal Hill Junior School (0.4 miles), Rednal Hill Infant School (0.4 miles) and St James Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.