Harborne Academy, Birmingham

Ofsted's report card from its 9 September 2026 inspection grades Harborne Academy on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders consistently prioritise attendance."

Achievement - Expected standard. "On the whole, pupils achieve well and make progress through the curriculum."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate and informed understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have high expectations for all vulnerable pupils."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know their school very well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have carefully designed the personal development curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to deliver personal, social and health education effectively so it is consistent across the school"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers skilfully adapt their teaching in the moment in response to pupils' understanding and needs".

In its own words: "At Harborne Academy all staff and students follow the 4Ps of Pride, Passion, Professionalism and Performance. These underpin the work of staff and students, as does our commitment to the fundamental human values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, tolerance and kindness. The government set out their definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy."

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am extremely honoured to be the Headteacher at Harborne Academy. Having been here as the Deputy Headteacher since 2017 and now as the Headteacher I have been part of an amazing team of staff, students, parents and governors who all work tirelessly to ensure that Harborne Academy is a positive, welcoming and successful place for students and staff."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include chess, STEM and Duke of Edinburgh.

On phones, the school says: "Guidance from the DfE states that "all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default" - ref."

In 2026, pupils at Harborne Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.5 in Birmingham and 47 across England.

48% 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 44.6.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.27: pupils made above 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 41.4, against 50.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 115 families put Harborne Academy as their first choice and 846 named it as one of their preferences, for 119 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 34 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Harborne Academy are St Paul's School for Girls (1 mile, Outstanding, Attainment 8 65.9); King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.6); George Dixon Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.3); and Lordswood Boys' School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2).

Harborne Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Of the 116 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 58% to a further education college and 2% into work.

54.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 34.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (24%), Mixed (20%) and other ethnic groups (18%).

Harborne Academy had 47 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is University Rail Station, about 1180 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Harborne Academy (opposite), 130 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Harborne Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Harborne Academy issued 118 suspensions, 19.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Harborne Academy are Chad Vale Primary School (0.3 miles), Harborne Primary School (0.6 miles), St Mary's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles) and St George's Church of England Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.