Rockwood Academy

Rockwood Academy has shown effective action in maintaining its standards since the last inspection. With a new leadership team in place and a focus on high ambitions for all pupils, including disadvantaged and those with SEND, the school has made significant progress. The nurturing environment fosters positive relationships, and pupils report feeling supported and valued. Although the quality of education had previously declined due to staffing changes, it has now been reversed, resulting in pupils engaging well with a broad and balanced curriculum and improving their literacy skills.

Strengths

• Strong and inclusive leadership
• High ambitions for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Effective strategies for teaching the curriculum
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff
• Strong focus on personal and character development
• Calm and orderly school environment
• Targeted support for reading across the school
• Well-prepared pupils for life in modern Britain

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent adaptation of teaching to address pupils' learning needs
• Significant number of pupils persistently absent from school

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 Rockwood Academy attended 87.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.8% 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, 22.5% of pupils at Rockwood Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Rockwood Academy had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.4% 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, 16.5% of pupils at Rockwood Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 2024–25 Rockwood Academy received £8,379 and spent £7,856 for each of its 1,087 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,998,000 (£2,758 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Core Education Trust, income was £8,815 and spending £8,892 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). 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Rockwood Academy is part of Core Education Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• City Academy Birmingham
• Jewellery Quarter Academy Birmingham
• Arena Academy Birmingham

What is Rockwood Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rockwood Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Rockwood Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rockwood Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Rockwood Academy have?

Rockwood Academy has 1,073 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rockwood Academy cover?

Rockwood Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Rockwood Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.1, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rockwood Academy?

Rockwood Academy is at Naseby Road, Alum Rock, Birmingham, West Midlands, B8 3HG.