Victoria College, Birmingham
Victoria College is a special school for pupils aged 19 to 25 in Birmingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Victoria College in detail
Victoria College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Here at Victoria College, we educate our students to achieve both academically and personally through a stimulating, varied and challenging programme of study as they prepare for adulthood. Our dedicated team of professionals include specialist teachers, higher level teaching assistants, teaching assistants, medical and specialist therapists and administration staff."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Victoria College are Victoria School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Longwill A Primary School for Deaf Children (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Maple House School (1.7 miles, Good); and Selly Oak Trust School (1.7 miles, Good).
Victoria SchoolLongwill A Primary School for Deaf ChildrenMaple House SchoolSelly Oak Trust School
Who goes there
Victoria College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Northfield Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Nigel Avenue (adjacent), 160 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Victoria College creates a genuinely inclusive environment where students with significant learning needs thrive. Staff are passionate about preparing students for adulthood through personalised learning pathways, real work experience, and enriching activities in the community. The college has strong leadership that listens to local authorities' needs and uses resources effectively to support each student's progress.
Key Strengths
- Inclusive and welcoming environment where staff know students well and have high expectations for their behaviour and learning
- Ambitious individualised curriculums tailored to each student's EHC plan targets and aspirations
- Effective use of high-needs funding to provide quality education, therapy, and enrichment opportunities
- Strong careers support with work experience, employability curriculum, and transition planning
- Comprehensive enrichment activities including sports, drama, dance, therapies, and community visits
Areas for Improvement
- Improve staff questioning techniques to check students' understanding rather than relying on process of elimination
- Reduce distractions in learning activities, particularly at the start of lessons
- Provide further training to teaching assistants to ensure consistent use of behaviour management strategies across the college
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear staff understanding of students' safety needs and emergency procedures.
Extracurricular Activities
Hydrotherapy, rebound therapy, speech and language therapy, music therapy, dance, drama, sports, tabletop cricket, college orchestra, work experience in college garden and coffee shop, volunteering with local charities, theatre visits, community venue visits, career talks
Victoria College is an independent specialist college in Birmingham serving 26 students aged 19-25 with profound and multiple learning disabilities. The college has improved significantly since its last inspection, moving from 'Requires improvement' to 'Good' across all areas.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Victoria College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Victoria College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Victoria College 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
- 36
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 26 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 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
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.
Inspection History(4)
Special educational needs provision
Victoria College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Victoria College
What is Victoria College's Ofsted rating?
Victoria College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
What is the catchment area for Victoria College?
No fixed boundary. When Victoria College is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Victoria College have specialist SEN provision?
Victoria College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Victoria College?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Victoria College 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.
How many road collisions happen near Victoria College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 26 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Victoria College?
Victoria College is at Bell Hill, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands, B31 1LD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)