Merstone School, Birmingham

Special
Community special school
Mixed
Ages 219

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Kieran Ryan-Grealish
Pupils:166 / 166 capacity
LA:Solihull
Phone:01217171040
Address:Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, B36 0UE
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 6 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Strong Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Strong Standard
Early Years
Strong Standard
Inspected 24 March 2026View full report
URN:104133
UKPRN:10016914
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Merstone School excels at supporting pupils with special educational needs to achieve well and feel valued. Staff are expert communicators who tailor their approach to each child's needs, using signing, symbols and other strategies to help every pupil succeed. The school places pupils' wellbeing and independence at the heart of everything it does, preparing them thoroughly for their next steps in life.

Key Strengths

  • Exceptional achievement and progress for all pupils, including those with extensive needs, through precisely targeted support and well-adapted curricula
  • Highly inclusive environment where all pupils are valued individuals with personalised targets and bespoke adaptations to overcome barriers
  • Expert staff who are skilled at supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with strong focus on communication development
  • Calm and happy school environment where pupils demonstrate positive attitudes, with staff skilled at helping pupils regulate emotions and behaviour
  • Comprehensive preparation for adulthood with strong post-16 provision, careers guidance, and life skills development

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, resulting in pupils feeling safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sport, performing arts, performances at major venues, partnerships with football clubs and theatres, Duke of Edinburgh Award, sensory experiences, therapeutic support, community visits

Merstone School is a special school that has been rated as meeting the strong standard across all areas. All pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, achieve very well through carefully planned education, health and care plans and highly skilled staff support.

At a Glance

62.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMathsWriting

Reading has remained stable at around 0%. Maths has remained stable at around 0%. Writing has remained stable at around 0%.

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

100%

Over capacity

166 pupils

166 capacity

0 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham

Low pressure
New homes approved:19,703
Projected new pupils:3,547

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Birmingham

Admissions Demand - Solihull

Low demand0.83x oversubscription

Places available

3,336

Applications

2,755

Got 1st preference

78.4%

Got preferred school

96.8%

Secondary admissions across Solihull (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

24 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
26 September 2023
15 October 2020

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

12.63712%

Overall absence

42.74194%

Persistent absence

124

Enrolments

Authorised11.88599%
Unauthorised0.75113%
Persistent (10%+)42.74194%
Severe (50%+)2.41935%

Absence trend

7.04%
18/19
19.50754%
20/21
10.95065%
21/22
12.21096%
22/23
11.23228%
23/24
12.63712%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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