St Paul's School for Girls, Birmingham
St Paul's School for Girls is a secondary school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Birmingham. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 91 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 138th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was 97% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
- Demand
- 1.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above 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
St Paul's School for Girls in detail
St Paul's School for Girls in its own words
In its own words: "Our Ofsted Report and RE Inspection Document can be downloaded via the link at the bottom of this page. Please click here to access the DfE School Performance Tables for Key Stage 4. The major feast days of St Paul are 25 January (the anniversary of his conversion) and 29 June (the feast of St Peter and St Paul)."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am extremely proud of our school and of our hard working and highly motivated staff and pupils. As an 'old girl' of St Paul's myself, I feel extremely privileged to lead the school that gave me such an inspirational, fulfilling and excellent education."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, athletics, drama, STEM, eco club, art, debating, journalism and book club.
Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 26 November 2026, an open evening on Thursday 3 December 2026 and an open evening on Thursday 10 December 2026 at 4pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Birmingham
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at St Paul's School for Girls averaged an Attainment 8 score of 65.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.5 in Birmingham and 47 across England.
82% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Birmingham and 47% in England.
That is up from 61 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 1.23: pupils made well 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 60.1, against 68.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at St Paul's School for Girls
For September 2026 entry, 270 families put St Paul's School for Girls as their first choice and 796 named it as one of their preferences, for 169 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 106 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Paul's School for Girls
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St Paul's School for Girls are George Dixon Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.3); Harborne Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 44.4); Lordswood Boys' School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); and King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.6).
St Paul's School for Girls's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
George Dixon AcademyHarborne AcademyLordswood Boys' SchoolKing Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls
Where pupils go next
Of the 163 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 97% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 20% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Of the 98 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 84% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 4% into work. 40% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
39.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (32%), White British (23%) and Mixed (13%).
In 2026, 206 pupils (19.9%) received SEN support and 15 (1.5%) 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.
Staffing
St Paul's School for Girls had 78 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Edgbaston Village (West Midlands Metro), about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Pauls RC School (adjacent), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Paul's School for Girls issued 35 suspensions, 3.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St Paul's School for Girls are Blessed Dominic Barberi Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles), St George's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles), George Dixon Primary School (0.6 miles) and City Road Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Blessed Dominic Barberi Catholic Primary SchoolSt George's Church of England Primary SchoolGeorge Dixon Primary SchoolCity Road Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Paul's creates a supportive, ambitious learning environment where all pupils are inspired and fully engaged. Teachers are passionate about their work and provide excellent feedback to help pupils improve. The school excels at meeting the needs of all learners, including disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs, and offers extensive enrichment opportunities that pupils genuinely value.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum that is well-sequenced and rigorous across all key stages
- Inspirational teaching with strong subject knowledge and excellent post-assessment feedback
- Exceptionally high pupil behaviour and conduct driven by clear school values and expectations
- Comprehensive support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, with adapted teaching and resources
- Over 30 well-attended after-school clubs and enrichment activities including sports, performing arts, and trips
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school, regular staff training, robust systems to follow up concerns quickly, and strong relationships between staff and pupils.
Extracurricular Activities
Air cadets programme, sporting clubs, performing arts clubs, trips and visits (both at home and abroad), over 30 after-school activities
St Paul's School for Girls continues to be an outstanding secondary school in Birmingham with high expectations for all pupils and a welcoming, ambitious culture. Leaders have created an environment where pupils are confident, polite, and conduct themselves exceptionally well.
About
St Paul's School For Girls is a voluntary aided, comprehensive, girls' school in Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK,
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
29.2%
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 declined from 1.38 to 1.23 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 64.2 to 65.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 74% to 82% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 65.9 | 82% |
| Disadvantaged(51) | - | 60.1 | 74.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(116) | - | 68.5 | 85.3% |
| Girls(167) | - | 65.9 | 82% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(55) | - | 67.5 | 85.5% |
| Non mobile(163) | - | 65.8 | 81.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 163 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
35
Suspensions
3.35%
Suspension rate
29 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,046 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Latest from St Paul's School for Girls
Exams Officer
4 Oct 2026
Website update: June 2022
6 Jun 2022
Max and Harvey
1 Apr 2022
Website: March 2022
7 Mar 2022
Basketball and Regional Dance Champions
18 Feb 2022
Safer Internet Day 2022
4 Feb 2022
From St Paul's School for Girls's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Paul's School for Girls
Term dates
St Paul's School for Girls is a voluntary aided school, 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 St Paul's School for Girls from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Paul's School for Girls 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
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 23 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 St Paul's School for Girls
Will you get a place at St Paul's School for Girls? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Paul's School for Girls's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Paul's School for Girls:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Paul's School for Girls.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Paul's School for Girls that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Paul's School for Girls for 2014 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
1,044 pupils
1,075 places
31 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: 1.6 first choices per place
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
206
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
21.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,033
Total Pupils
0
Boys
1,033
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
78
Teachers
13.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,853
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,199
Per pupil
£6495k
Total funding
£266k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
10.8%
Persistent absence
854
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
St Paul's School for Girls
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Paul's School for Girls
What are GCSE results like at St Paul's School for Girls?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Paul's School for Girls achieved an Attainment 8 score of 65.9. 82% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Paul's School for Girls's Ofsted rating?
St Paul's School for Girls's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Paul's School for Girls?
No fixed boundary. When St Paul's School for Girls is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Paul's School for Girls?
St Paul's School for Girls was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Paul's School for Girls?
Classes at St Paul's School for Girls average 20.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Paul's School for Girls?
St Paul's School for Girls has around 1033 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Paul's School for Girls?
4.8% of sessions were missed at St Paul's School for Girls in 2024/25. 10.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Paul's School for Girls?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming St Paul's School for Girls 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 St Paul's School for Girls?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 23 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 St Paul's School for Girls?
St Paul's School for Girls is at Vernon Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B16 9SL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)