Holyhead School
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Milestone Lane Handsworth Birmingham West Midlands B21 0HN |
| Phone | 01215231960 |
| Reference Number | 137034 |
Holyhead School has been rated as 'Good' in its latest Ofsted inspection, which reflects a significant change from its previous 'Outstanding' grade from 2013. Although the school demonstrates strong leadership and a supportive environment that fosters positive pupil experiences, some areas require improvement to ensure consistent academic performance across all subjects. The long gap since the last inspection may have influenced the current academic standards, particularly in mathematics and modern foreign languages.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1271 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 53.27%
Girls: 46.73% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 58.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 74.7% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 21.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 117 | 96 | 213 |
| 8 | 110 | 98 | 208 |
| 9 | 123 | 88 | 211 |
| 10 | 110 | 96 | 206 |
| 11 | 111 | 101 | 212 |
| 12 | 54 | 66 | 120 |
| 13 | 52 | 49 | 101 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Pakistani | 21.2% |
| Indian | 18.9% |
| African | 9.6% |
| Caribbean | 7.2% |
| White, Other | 6.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 4.6% |
| Unclassified | 2% |
| Asian, Other | 1.4% |
| White, British | 1.3% |
| White & Asian | 1.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.1% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.3% |
| Chinese | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Sixth Form Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 04 Feb 2020 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 20 May 2025 | School inspection |
| 04 Feb 2020 | Full inspection: |
| 14 Dec 2017 | Monitoring visit |
| 27 Apr 2015 | Monitoring visit |
| 04 Dec 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 14 Feb 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 09 Jan 2012 | Interim assessment |
| 01 Jul 2009 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Holyhead School | |
| 01 Jul 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Jun 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Jun 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 26 Nov 2001 | Full inspection |
| 26 Nov 2001 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong commitment from leaders, teachers, and governors to improve pupils' life chances.
- High levels of pupil enjoyment and safety reported by students and parents.
- Effective support for pupils who speak English as an additional language.
- Broad curriculum with a variety of subjects and qualifications available.
- Nurturing environment for pupils with SEND, with dedicated support strategies in place.
- Students in the sixth form achieve well and receive strong pastoral and academic support.
- Effective safeguarding measures ensuring pupil safety.
Areas for Improvement
- Variability in academic outcomes at the end of key stage 4, particularly in some subjects.
- Inconsistent quality of subject teaching leading to uneven pupil achievement.
- High number of permanent exclusions compared to the national average.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 43.2 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 33.2% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 47.6% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 32.86 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 31.9 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C+ | C | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 9.5% |
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 162 | 16 |
| Third Preference | 145 | 7 |
| From another Local Authority | 24 | 5 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth
Sandwell Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8NH |
0.25 miles |
|
Oasis Academy Boulton
Boulton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0RE |
0.43 miles |
|
Oasis Academy Wattville
Wattville Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0DP |
0.46 miles |
|
James Watt Primary School
Boulton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0RE |
0.48 miles |
|
William Murdoch Primary School
Antrobus Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9NT |
0.49 miles |
|
Rookery School
Rookery Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9PY |
0.52 miles |
|
Grove School
Dawson Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9HB |
0.55 miles |
|
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
Avenue Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8ED |
0.61 miles |
|
Oasis Academy Foundry
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0.79 miles |
|
Oasis Academy Benson
Benson Road, Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 5TD |
0.83 miles |
|
St Philip's Catholic Primary School
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0.86 miles |
|
St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Handsworth
Piers Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0UX |
0.96 miles |
|
Nishkam Primary School Birmingham
3-11 Soho Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9SN |
0.99 miles |
|
Galton Valley Primary School
Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 1BA |
1 miles |
|
St Matthew's CofE Primary School
Windmill Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 3LX |
1.08 miles |
|
Welford Primary School
Welford Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 2BL |
1.12 miles |
|
Elm Tree Primary Academy
Friar Park Road, Wednesbury, WS10 0TB |
1.16 miles |
|
Summerfield Primary School
Cuthbert Road, Winson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 4AH |
1.18 miles |
|
Victoria Park Primary
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1.19 miles |
|
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| Name | Distance |
|
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0.16 miles |
|
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0.31 miles |
|
Windsor Olympus Academy
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0.52 miles |
|
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
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0.56 miles |
|
St John Wall Catholic School
Oxhill Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8HH |
0.78 miles |
|
V.A.S.E Academy
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0.82 miles |
|
Sandwell Academy
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0.92 miles |
|
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0.96 miles |
|
King Edward VI Handsworth School
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1 miles |
|
Future First Independent School
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1.23 miles |
|
Sandwell Valley School
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1.42 miles |
|
Mayfield School
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1.54 miles |
|
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1.64 miles |
|
Hamstead Hall Academy
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1.74 miles |
|
BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy
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1.75 miles |
|
Nishkam High School
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1.78 miles |
|
Holly Lodge High School College of Science
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|
Holte School
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|
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|
Sandwell College
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2.01 miles |