The Heights Academy, Solihull
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The Heights Academy creates a warm, welcoming environment where pupils with autism and complex needs feel safe, cared for and supported by dedicated staff. The school has a particular strength in reading, with expert support helping even struggling readers become confident and fluent. Staff genuinely care about pupils' wellbeing and the school offers an impressive range of enrichment activities to build confidence and broaden horizons.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with well-trained staff providing targeted support to help pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Warm, caring school culture with positive relationships between staff and pupils who feel safe and supported
- Ambitious curriculum designed to give pupils breadth similar to mainstream schools and prepare them for formal qualifications
- Wide range of personal development opportunities including theatre work, football teams, trips and visitors to enhance learning
Areas for Improvement
- High pupil absence rates mean students are missing important academic and social learning
- Teachers don't always understand pupils' individual learning needs well enough, leading to activities that don't match what pupils need to learn
- Inconsistent approaches to helping anxious pupils re-engage in lessons, resulting in lost learning time
- Poor communication with some parents has left them feeling dissatisfied and not involved in their children's education
- School hasn't effectively checked the impact of its own work, meaning weaknesses haven't been identified quickly enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff being vigilant and supervising pupils closely while maintaining positive relationships.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre workshops, football teams playing against local schools, regular trips, visiting professionals
The Heights Academy is a special school for pupils with autism and related needs that provides a warm, caring environment with high expectations. However, inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and safeguarding processes mean pupils are not achieving as well as they could be.
At a Glance
58.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
59%
Available places
69 pupils
116 capacity
47 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Solihull
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Solihull
Admissions Demand - Solihull
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
House Prices
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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.
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.
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.
Pupil Absence2024/25
27.99822%
Overall absence
61.53846%
Persistent absence
52
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Heights Academy
Castle Bromwich Infant and Nursery School
Smith's Wood Primary Academy
Castle Bromwich Junior School
Water Orton Primary School
St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School
Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School
Kingshurst Primary School
Timberley Academy
Hillstone Primary School
Yorkswood Primary School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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