Grace Academy Solihull, Birmingham

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Grace Academy Solihull on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well, including the qualifications which they achieve at the end of Year 11 and Year 13."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place an ambitious curriculum for pupils."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Many pupils have barriers to their learning or wellbeing."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders at all levels have a comprehensive and accurate view of the quality of provision in the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place extensive provision for pupils' personal development."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students benefit from the school's personalised sixth form provision."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Overall rates of attendance have been too low for some time, including those pupils who are regularly absent from school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to ensure that their attendance strategy enables sustained improvements in pupils' overall attendance and reductions in persistent absence"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to produce extended pieces of work which allow them to consolidate their learning"; "Leaders should develop pupils' oral communication skills and fluency of response".

In its own words: "Every student participates in an enhanced curriculum as part of their journey from Year 7 to Post 16. This journey is enhanced by four key themes that holistically benefit our students."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Here at Grace Academy Solihull we offer a stimulating environment that enables every learner to progress and flourish. Our aims are clear: every student should reach and exceed their potential. We offer a clear and explicit support programme for all students and this extends to parents and carers."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, tennis, basketball, dance, drama, choir, guitar, STEM and cooking.

In 2026, pupils at Grace Academy Solihull averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.4 in Solihull and 47 across England.

36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Solihull and 47% in England.

That is down from 44.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.07: pupils made about 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 35.1, against 50.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 242 families put Grace Academy Solihull as their first choice and 633 named it as one of their preferences, for 172 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 80 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Grace Academy Solihull are John Henry Newman Catholic College (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.1); Centre for Accelerated Learning (0.6 miles); Tile Cross Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36.7); and WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull) (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 34.5).

Grace Academy Solihull's 2026 results were higher than all 3 of them.

Grace Academy Solihull is one of 16 schools run by Tove Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.3 in 2024/25.

68 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Grace Academy Solihull (as of April 2026): 96% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

Of the 143 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 30 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 40% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 30% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

51.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%) and Mixed (14%).

In 2026, 223 pupils (25.2%) received SEN support and 25 (2.8%) 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 autism.

The nearest railway station is Marston Green Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ilkley Grove (before), 160 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 431 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Solihull (226), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Grace Academy Solihull issued 169 suspensions, 19.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Grace Academy Solihull are Fordbridge Community Primary School (0.5 miles), St Anne's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles), The Shirestone Academy (0.6 miles) and Our Lady's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.