Fortis Academy, Birmingham
Fortis Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Birmingham, part of The Shaw Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 76th-highest of the 91 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 2,844th of 3,298 across England. It was 65% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- 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
Fortis Academy in detail
Fortis Academy in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, eco club and homework club.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Fortis Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.5 in Birmingham and 47 across England.
29% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Birmingham and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 37.9.
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 34.3, against 44.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Physical Education.
Getting a place at Fortis Academy
For September 2026 entry, 80 families put Fortis Academy as their first choice and 619 named it as one of their preferences, for 149 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 Fortis Academy are Arena Academy (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 42.7); Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48); Barr Beacon School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.4); and E-ACT North Birmingham Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.2).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Fortis Academy.
Arena AcademyCardinal Wiseman Catholic SchoolBarr Beacon SchoolE-ACT North Birmingham Academy
The trust
Fortis Academy is one of 31 schools run by The Shaw Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.2 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 293 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 0% into work.
Of the 70 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 67% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 10% into work. 17% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
52.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 33.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (26%), Asian (23%) and White British (22%).
In 2026, 273 pupils (22.6%) received SEN support and 19 (1.6%) 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 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Great Barr School (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 232 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Fortis Academy issued 450 suspensions, 34.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Fortis Academy are Barr View Primary & Nursery Academy (under 0.1 miles), Glenmead Primary School (0.3 miles), Beeches Primary School (0.4 miles) and Maryvale Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Barr View Primary & Nursery AcademyGlenmead Primary SchoolBeeches Primary SchoolMaryvale Catholic 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; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
52.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.72 to -0.32 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 34.3 to 38.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 21% to 29% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 38.4 | 29% |
| Disadvantaged(123) | - | 34.3 | 21.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(77) | - | 44.9 | 41.6% |
| Boys(100) | - | 36.6 | 26% |
| Girls(100) | - | 40.1 | 32% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(62) | - | 39.6 | 27.4% |
| Non mobile(175) | - | 38.3 | 28% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 293 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
6
Permanent exclusions
0.46%
Exclusion rate
450
Suspensions
34.78%
Suspension rate
215 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,294 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Fortis Academy
Term dates
Fortis 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 Fortis Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fortis 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 11 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
5 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 Fortis Academy
Will you get a place at Fortis Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Fortis Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Fortis Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Fortis Academy.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Fortis Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Fortis Academy for 2017 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
65%
Available places
1,305 pupils
2,004 places
699 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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
273
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
24.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,210
Total Pupils
588
Boys
622
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
88
Teachers
13.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,783
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,415
Per pupil
£10087k
Total funding
£667k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.8%
Overall absence
31.3%
Persistent absence
1,273
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
Fortis Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Fortis Academy
What are GCSE results like at Fortis Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Fortis Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 38.4. 29% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Fortis Academy's Ofsted rating?
Fortis Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Fortis Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Fortis 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 Fortis Academy?
Fortis Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 65% of its 2004 places.
How big are the classes at Fortis Academy?
Classes at Fortis Academy average 21.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Fortis Academy?
Fortis Academy has around 1210 pupils on roll. 53% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Fortis Academy?
9.8% of sessions were missed at Fortis Academy in 2024/25. 31.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fortis Academy?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Fortis 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 Fortis Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 11 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 5 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 Fortis Academy?
Fortis Academy is at Aldridge Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, B44 8NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)