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Rookery School

Primary Ages 3-11 453 pupils Birmingham
Ofsted: Good
All schools in Birmingham

Rookery School is an academy converter in Birmingham for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has 453 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Rookery School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023. In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ofsted inspection: September 2023. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-11
Religion Does not apply
Address Rookery Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
West Midlands
B21 9PY
Phone 01214644221
Reference Number 137168

General Makeup

Number of pupils 453
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 48.12%
Girls: 51.88%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 55.9%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 52.1%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 24.7
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 27.5
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 27.8

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 31 28 59
2 31 27 58
3 27 31 58
4 32 29 61
5 26 29 55
6 26 31 57

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
Mixed, Other 32.7%
Indian 17.2%
White, Other 9.1%
Pakistani 9.1%
African 3.5%
Asian, Other 2.6%
White, British 2%
White & Asian 1.3%
Caribbean 1.1%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.4%
White & Black (African) 0.2%

Rookery School is performing well overall, with an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good.' The school has a strong emphasis on providing a well-structured curriculum that supports both academic and personal development, which is particularly notable for its outstanding early years and personal development provisions. Students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), benefit from a variety of enrichment opportunities that enhance their educational experience. However, the school faces challenges with attendance, particularly among disadvantaged students, which affects some pupils' ability to fully engage with the curriculum.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Outstanding
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Early Years Provision Outstanding
Last Report Date 21 Jun 2023
Date Report
21 Jun 2023 School inspection:
01 Feb 2018 Short inspection
03 Jul 2013 Full inspection:
14 Feb 2012 Academy conversion letter
25 May 2010 Full inspection:
Previously as Rookery School & Children's Centre
27 Feb 2007 Full inspection:
10 Mar 2003 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Well-designed curriculum that supports strong pupil achievement.
  • Outstanding personal development and early years provision.
  • High expectations for pupil behaviour and a harmonious school environment.
  • Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
  • Effective leadership with ambitious vision for the school.

Areas for Improvement

  • High absence rates for some pupils, particularly disadvantaged ones.
  • Curriculum not fully embedded in a few subjects, leading to inconsistent delivery.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 53%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 5%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 103
Maths 102

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 0.8
Writing 1.1
Maths 0.9

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 41 2
Third Preference 52 0
From another Local Authority 1 1

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Rookery School had 412 pupils for 420 places. 8 places (1.9%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “P28” planning area

Birmingham counted 260 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 283 in 2029–30, up 9%.

2012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 420420420420420420420420420420420420420
Pupils 423429431429430426426432426414422409412
Unfilled 0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%1.4%0.0%2.6%1.9%

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 Rookery School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 1.9%1.8%2.0%1.6%2.2%2.0%2.7%2.9%4.7%4.1%3.7%
Unauthorised absence 2.0%2.2%2.1%2.3%2.3%2.3%2.6%3.5%2.8%2.2%1.4%
Severely absent pupils 0.8%0.8%1.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.3%1.0%1.8%1.6%1.1%

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, 1.1% of pupils at Rookery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 1.30.60.60.00.01.00.01.13.80.60.62.41.12.31.5
Permanent exclusions 000001101000000

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 Rookery School had 19.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 11.811.79.610.010.710.912.712.012.113.111.812.413.213.012.7
Teachers who left state teaching 12.1%6.7%6.9%5.9%14.8%12.4%9.1%3.9%11.4%8.6%0.0%13.6%11.2%8.8%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 55.6%42.9%59.4%66.7%53.3%42.3%60.0%66.7%–60.7%41.4%58.6%70.4%68.0%–
Sick days per teacher 4.24.95.95.82.92.74.76.2–3.13.44.17.33.9–

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, 15.5% of pupils at Rookery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 3 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Speech, language and communication needs 37 1
Autistic spectrum disorder 7 14
Moderate learning difficulty 15 1
Social, emotional and mental health 3 1
Other difficulty or disability 3 0
Specific learning difficulty 2 1
No specialist assessment of need 2 0
Down's syndrome 0 1
Physical disability 1 0

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Rookery School received £7,648 and spent £7,181 for each of its 437 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £673,000 (£1,540 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2019202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £720,000£791,000£800,000£578,000£246,000£469,000£673,000
per pupil £1,593£1,729£1,774£1,314£532£1,045£1,540
In-year balance £10,000£250,000-£217,000-£222,000-£332,000£223,000£204,000
per pupil £22£546-£481-£505-£719£497£467

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

Name Distance
William Murdoch Primary School
Antrobus Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9NT
0.16 miles
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
Avenue Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8ED
0.32 miles
Grove School
Dawson Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9HB
0.44 miles
St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth
Sandwell Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8NH
0.48 miles
Oasis Academy Boulton
Boulton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0RE
0.66 miles
James Watt Primary School
Boulton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0RE
0.77 miles
Grestone Academy
Grestone Avenue, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 1ND
0.77 miles
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
Butlers Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 2NY
0.78 miles
St Marys C of E Primary and Nursery, Academy, Handsworth
Hamstead Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 2RW
0.82 miles
Oasis Academy Wattville
Wattville Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0DP
0.92 miles
Welford Primary School
Welford Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 2BL
0.92 miles
St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Handsworth
Piers Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0UX
0.92 miles
Nishkam Primary School Birmingham
3-11 Soho Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9SN
0.93 miles
Oasis Academy Benson
Benson Road, Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 5TD
0.97 miles
Cherry Orchard Primary School
Cherry Orchard Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 2LB
0.97 miles
St Clare's Catholic Primary School
Robert Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 3RT
1.08 miles
Oasis Academy Foundry
Foundry Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 4LP
1.17 miles
Westminster Primary School
Stamford Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 3PN
1.29 miles
Heathfield Primary School
Heathfield Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 1HJ
1.31 miles
Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy (Handsworth)
Havelock Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 3LP
1.36 miles
Name Distance
Hamilton School
Hamilton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8AH
0.36 miles
King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy
Church Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 2HL
0.46 miles
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Grove Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9ET
0.49 miles
Holyhead School
Milestone Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0HN
0.52 miles
St John Wall Catholic School
Oxhill Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 8HH
0.64 miles
Myles Academy
Unit 7, 3B Business Village, Alexandra Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 0PD
0.74 miles
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Rose Hill Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9AR
0.88 miles
Windsor Olympus Academy
Perrott Street, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 4LX
0.9 miles
V.A.S.E Academy
Park Lane, Birmingham, B21 8LE
1.02 miles
Sandwell Academy
Halfords Lane, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B71 4LG
1.23 miles
Mayfield School
Heathfield Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 1HJ
1.27 miles
Hamstead Hall Academy
Craythorne Avenue, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 1HL
1.34 miles
Future First Independent School
Hockley Port, All Saints Street, Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 7RL
1.39 miles
Sandwell Valley School
150 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands, West Bromwich, B70 6QT
1.68 miles
Nishkam High School
Great King Street North, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 2LF
1.7 miles
Holte School
Wheeler Street, Lozells, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 2EP
1.72 miles
Broadway Academy
The Broadway, Perry Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 3DP
1.82 miles
Birmingham Independent College
Albert Hall, Witton Road, Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B6 5NU
1.83 miles
Eden Boys' School, Birmingham
150 Wellhead Lane, Perry Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, B42 2SY
1.9 miles
Newbury Independent School
Unit 6, Cuckoo Wharf, 435 Lichfield Road, Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B6 7SS
1.98 miles

All schools in Birmingham · Birmingham local authority: places and applications

What is Rookery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rookery School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Rookery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rookery School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Rookery School have?

Rookery School has 453 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rookery School cover?

Rookery School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Rookery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rookery School?

Rookery School is at Rookery Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 9PY.

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