The Olive School, Small Heath, Birmingham
The Olive School, Small Heath is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Birmingham, part of Star Academies. It has a Muslim religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 275 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 165th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 2.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- 2.3 first choices per place
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Olive School, Small Heath in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at The Olive School, Small Heath reached the expected standard in reading and 98% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Birmingham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 93% in reading and 97% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Olive School, Small Heath
For September 2026 entry, 138 families put The Olive School, Small Heath as their first choice and 307 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 2.3 first choices for every place. 80 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Olive School, Small Heath
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Olive School, Small Heath are Lift Montgomery (0.4 miles, Good, 84% reading, 86% maths); Somerville Primary (NC) School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 88% maths); Holy Family Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 93% reading, 90% maths); and St Benedict's Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 40% reading, 48% maths).
The Olive School, Small Heath's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Lift MontgomerySomerville Primary (NC) SchoolHoly Family Catholic Primary SchoolSt Benedict's Primary School
The trust
The Olive School, Small Heath is one of 36 schools run by Star Academies, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 85% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
40.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 93.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (70%), Black (16%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 70 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 5 (1.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Small Heath Rail Station, about 170 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Poets Corner (after), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Olive School, Small Heath stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
The Olive School, Small Heath recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Olive School, Small Heath are Holy Trinity Catholic School (0.4 miles), Ark Victoria Academy (0.5 miles), Small Heath Leadership Academy (0.5 miles) and Ark Boulton Academy (0.5 miles).
Holy Trinity Catholic SchoolArk Victoria AcademySmall Heath Leadership AcademyArk Boulton Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
40.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 93% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 98% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 93% to 97% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Olive School, Small Heath
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Olive School, Small Heath.
- Ackers Adventure Holiday Camp550m away · Not yet graded
- Smart Kids Club (Small Heath)630m away · Not yet graded
- Our Little Journey680m away · Not yet graded
- Excel Learning810m away · Not yet graded
- Star Kids Club810m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
The Olive School, Small Heath is an academy, 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Olive School, Small Heath from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Olive School, Small Heath 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
- 79
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 79 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 68 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 11 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 The Olive School, Small Heath
Will you get a place at The Olive School, Small Heath? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Olive School, Small Heath's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Olive School, Small Heath:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Olive School, Small Heath.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Olive School, Small Heath that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Olive School, Small Heath for 2020 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
100%
Full
420 pupils
420 places
No 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
15,375
Applications
12,117
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 2.3 first choices per place
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
17.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
420
Total Pupils
213
Boys
207
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
23.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£41,676
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,150
Per pupil
£2938k
Total funding
£229k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
8.9%
Persistent absence
372
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about The Olive School, Small Heath
What are SATs results like at The Olive School, Small Heath?
Of the pupils at The Olive School, Small Heath who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 98% did so in maths.
What is The Olive School, Small Heath's Ofsted rating?
The Olive School, Small Heath was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for The Olive School, Small Heath?
No fixed boundary. When The Olive School, Small Heath is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Olive School, Small Heath?
The Olive School, Small Heath was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Olive School, Small Heath?
Classes at The Olive School, Small Heath average 30 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Olive School, Small Heath?
The Olive School, Small Heath has around 420 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Olive School, Small Heath?
4.6% of sessions were missed at The Olive School, Small Heath in 2024/25. 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Olive School, Small Heath?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming The Olive School, Small Heath on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does The Olive School, Small Heath have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 5 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Olive School, Small Heath: Ackers Adventure Holiday Camp (550m away, registered, not yet graded), Smart Kids Club (Small Heath) (630m away, registered, not yet graded) and Our Little Journey (680m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Olive School, Small Heath?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 79 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 68 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 11 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 The Olive School, Small Heath?
The Olive School, Small Heath is at Waverley Road, Birmingham, B10 0EG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)