The Shrubbery School Ltd, Sutton Coldfield
The Shrubbery School Ltd is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Sutton Coldfield. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in July 2025.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Shrubbery School Ltd in detail
The Shrubbery School Ltd in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At our school, we commit to providing parents and their children with an environment where the child matters first ."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Shrubbery School Ltd are Highclare School (1.8 miles); Imedia School (2.1 miles, Good); Oscott Academy (2.9 miles, Outstanding); and Aspire AP School 2 (3.7 miles, Good).
Highclare SchoolImedia SchoolOscott AcademyAspire AP School 2
Who goes there
In 2026, 7 pupils (6%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chester Road Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashfern Drive (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Shrubbery School Ltd stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 68 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 23 May 2018, before the latest ISI inspection.
Non-Routine Inspection
16 July 2025
Routine Inspection
21 January 2025
Regulatory Compliance
30 March 2022
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2018 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Shrubbery School provides a happy, caring environment where pupils make good progress from their starting points. Teachers use excellent feedback to help children improve, and the school offers a rich, engaging curriculum with interesting topics that bring learning to life. The headteacher and leadership team know every pupil well and are committed to children's wellbeing and development.
Key Strengths
- Strong progress in mathematics and English, particularly in early years writing development
- Engaging and rich curriculum with interesting cross-curricular topics like 'The Allotment' and 'The Blue Abyss'
- Effective teacher feedback that helps move pupils' learning forward and promotes self-reflection
- Improved assessment systems that help leaders and teachers plan activities meeting individual pupil needs
- New governing body providing strong challenge and support to school leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Topic books do not always reflect the high standards of presentation and handwriting seen in English lessons
- Most able pupils could receive higher level challenges from the start of lessons rather than just additional tasks
- Some parents feel homework could be more challenging
- Progress is stronger in mathematics and English than across the wider curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - suitable arrangements are in place to safeguard and promote pupil welfare, with appropriate policies and all parents confirming pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Potato-growing competition, visits to Sea Life Centre
The Shrubbery School is an independent school for ages 3-11 in Sutton Coldfield that has now met all independent school standards checked during this inspection, demonstrating significant progress since the previous visit.
Fees for 2026/27
Day fees, per year
£9,720 to £12,507
depending on year group
| Reception – per term including VAT | £9,720 a year |
| Year 1 – per term including VAT | £10,353 a year |
| Year 2 – per term including VAT | £11,379 a year |
| Years 3 & 4 – per term including VAT | £12,243 a year |
| Years 5 & 6 – per term including VAT | £12,507 a year |
Including VAT. From the school's own fee schedule; check with the school before you rely on it.
Private school fees in West Midlands - 4 schools' published fees side by side
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with The Shrubbery School Ltd
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 13 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
4 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
41%
Available places
116 pupils
280 places
164 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sutton Coldfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sutton Coldfield
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
6.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
116
Total Pupils
63
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about The Shrubbery School Ltd
When was The Shrubbery School Ltd last inspected?
The Shrubbery School Ltd is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in July 2025.
How many pupils go to The Shrubbery School Ltd?
The Shrubbery School Ltd has around 116 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Shrubbery School Ltd?
The Shrubbery School Ltd is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Shrubbery School Ltd?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 13 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Shrubbery School Ltd?
The Shrubbery School Ltd is at Walmley Ash Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)