Holly Lodge High School College of Science

Holly Lodge High School College of Science is a large secondary school with a sixth form, serving a community with well-above-average deprivation, a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils and many pupils who speak English as an additional language. Safeguarding standards are met. Inspectors found the school performing strongly in attendance and behaviour, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision, with effective leadership, inclusion and support for pupils with SEND. Pupils feel safe, behave well and benefit from a broad enrichment offer and a calm, caring ethos. The school is not yet consistently strong across all areas. Curriculum and teaching, achievement, inclusion and leadership are judged at the expected standard, and some teaching does not consistently adapt or challenge well enough. Reading and writing are not as secure as mathematics, and some pupils do not attain as well as they could in national examinations at the end of key stage 4, including in GCSE English and maths. Disadvantaged pupils still face a notable attainment gap. Leaders know the areas needing further work and have suitable actions in place, including sharper adaptation of teaching and assessment and stronger foundational literacy.

Strengths

• Highly successful work to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.
• Calm, positive learning environment with rare bullying and effective behaviour support.
• Strong personal development and wellbeing provision, including age-appropriate relationships, sex and health education.
• Extensive enrichment and pupil voice opportunities that build confidence and community ethos.
• Strong sixth form provision with ambitious courses, skilled teaching and above-national outcomes.
• High-quality careers guidance and destinations support, including university applications and work experience.
• Effective inclusion for disadvantaged pupils, pupils who speak English as an additional language, and pupils with SEND.
• Leaders and governors know the school and community well, and staff feel supported.
• Safeguarding standards are met through an open and positive safeguarding culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching and assessment are not consistently adapted to support pupils who need more help or greater challenge.
• Reading and writing standards are not as secure as mathematics.
• Some pupils do not attain as well as they could in national examinations at the end of key stage 4.
• GCSE English and maths grade 5 outcomes remain below national averages in recent years.
• Disadvantaged pupils still face a significant attainment gap compared with non-disadvantaged peers nationally.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Holly Lodge High School College of Science attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.8% of pupils at Holly Lodge High School College of Science were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 9 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Holly Lodge High School College of Science had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.2% of pupils at Holly Lodge High School College of Science were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Holly Lodge High School College of Science received £8,420 and spent £8,297 for each of its 1,643 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £994,000 (£605 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Smethwick · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

What is Holly Lodge High School College of Science's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holly Lodge High School College of Science is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Holly Lodge High School College of Science last inspected by Ofsted?

Holly Lodge High School College of Science was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Holly Lodge High School College of Science have?

Holly Lodge High School College of Science has 1,636 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holly Lodge High School College of Science cover?

Holly Lodge High School College of Science for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Holly Lodge High School College of Science's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.5, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Holly Lodge High School College of Science?

Holly Lodge High School College of Science is at Holly Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 7JG.