Skip to main content

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy, Solihull

Good
All-through
Free schools alternative provision
Mixed
Ages 4–16

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is an all-through school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Solihull, part of Solihull Alternative Provision Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022.

Ofsted
Good (2022)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Data last updated 27 Oct 2026

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy in detail

Getting a place at Solihull Alternative Provision Academy

Across Solihull, 80% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 97% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in Solihull lodged 149 appeals against secondary school offers; 105 reached a hearing and 4 succeeded (3.8% of those heard).

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state secondary schools to Solihull Alternative Provision Academy are Alderbrook School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.4); Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull (0.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59.1); St Peter's Catholic School (0.9 miles, Attainment 8 53.7); and Light Hall School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 52).

Alderbrook SchoolTudor Grange Academy, SolihullSt Peter's Catholic SchoolLight Hall School

The trust

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is one of 3 schools run by Solihull Alternative Provision Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

All 3 schools in Solihull Alternative Provision Multi Academy Trust

Where pupils go next

Of the 34 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 56% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college and 9% to an apprenticeship.

Who goes there

65.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 2.5% 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 (15%).

In 2026, 23 pupils (29.1%) received SEN support and 39 (49.4%) 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.

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Solihull Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cranmore Avenue (adjacent), 80 metres away.

The area around the school

In August 2026, police recorded 134 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Solihull (226).

Primary schools nearby

The primary schools closest to Solihull Alternative Provision Academy are Cranmore Infant School (0.2 miles), Widney Junior School (0.3 miles), Shirley Heath Junior School (0.6 miles) and Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.

Cranmore Infant SchoolWidney Junior SchoolShirley Heath Junior SchoolOur Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School

Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Kat Dockery
Pupils:79
LA:Solihull
Phone:01217095420
Address:Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4LE
Trust:SOLIHULL ALTERNATIVE PROVISION MULTI ACADEMY TRUST (3 schools)
Status:open
Opened:16 April 2018

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
Good

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Inspected 14 September 2022View full report
URN:143918
UKPRN:10067415
Constituency:Solihull West and Shirley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2022 inspection.

Rated Good for

Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.

At a Glance

65.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

Resourced provision: SEMH

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Solihull Alternative Provision Academy

Before and after school care

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Solihull

Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Solihull Alternative Provision Academy.

  • Gateway to FMA840m away · Not yet graded
  • OLOW Out Of School Care970m away · Not yet graded

Getting There

Bus Stops

Cranmore Avenue (adjacent)
78m · 1 min walk
Stirling Road (adj)
144m · 2 min walk
Maidwell Drive (adjacent)
205m · 3 min walk
Northdown Road (after)
366m · 6 min walk
Radway Road (opp)
371m · 6 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Solihull Alternative Provision Academy from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is in Solihull; for families living there:

Apply to Solihull for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
16
Fatal
0
Serious
2
Children hurt
5

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 14 slight.

5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.

6 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 Solihull is 12 (the median across 90 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

See commute times and house prices with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

41%

Available places

79 pupils

195 places

116 spare places

as recorded on GIAS

Area Demand Pressure - Solihull

High pressure
New homes approved:2,009
Projected new pupils:362

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Solihull

Across Solihull council

Low demand council-wide0.80 applications per place

Places available

3,299

Applications

2,632

Got 1st preference

79.7%

Got preferred school

97.1%

All secondary applications across Solihull council (2026/27), not just this school.

Inspection History

14 September 2022
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

23

SEN Support

39

EHC Plans

78.5%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.

Source: GIAS, Department for Education.

Pupils by Need Type

Social, Emotional & Mental Health44
Autistic Spectrum Disorder10
Moderate Learning Difficulty4
Specific Learning Difficulty2
Speech, Language & Communication2
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
75.9%
Asian
3.8%
Black
1.3%
Mixed
15.2%
Other
1.3%
Unclassified
1.3%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals65.8%
English as Additional Language2.5%

79

Total Pupils

49

Boys

30

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

38

Teachers

2.1:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£50,311

Mean salary

2026 data

Questions parents ask about Solihull Alternative Provision Academy

What is Solihull Alternative Provision Academy's Ofsted rating?

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022.

What is the catchment area for Solihull Alternative Provision Academy?

No fixed boundary. When Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is oversubscribed, Solihull allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

How many pupils go to Solihull Alternative Provision Academy?

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy has around 79 pupils on roll. 66% are eligible for free school meals.

Does Solihull Alternative Provision Academy have specialist SEN provision?

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.

How do I apply to Solihull Alternative Provision Academy?

Apply through Solihull's coordinated admissions process, naming Solihull Alternative Provision Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.

Does Solihull Alternative Provision Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Solihull Alternative Provision Academy: Gateway to FMA (840m away, registered, not yet graded) and OLOW Out Of School Care (970m away, registered, not yet graded).

How many road collisions happen near Solihull Alternative Provision Academy?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 14 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 6 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 Solihull is 12 (the median across 90 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Solihull Alternative Provision Academy?

Solihull Alternative Provision Academy is at Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4LE.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

Work here? Claim this profile free