The University of Birmingham School

The University of Birmingham School continues to uphold its status as a good school, providing a vibrant and supportive environment where pupils feel valued and safe. Leaders maintain high aspirations for all students, ensuring that they receive a well-rounded education that balances both character development and academic achievement. The curriculum is ambitious and comprehensive, allowing students to prepare effectively for their future, with most progressing to university. Extra-curricular activities further enhance pupil development, encouraging engagement outside the classroom.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and valued in a diverse environment.
• High aspirations are set for all pupils leading to strong character development and academic success.
• The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Teachers model new knowledge clearly and regularly check understanding in lessons.
• Strong emphasis on reading with a well-resourced library available.
• Pupils participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities.
• Staff feel valued and well supported by leaders.

Areas for Improvement

• Occasional lapses in teachers checking pupils' understanding before moving to new learning.

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 The University of Birmingham School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.6% 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, 7.0% of pupils at The University of Birmingham School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 The University of Birmingham School had 14.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.6% 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, 11.4% of pupils at The University of Birmingham School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% 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 The University of Birmingham School received £8,270 and spent £8,499 for each of its 1,185 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,102,000 (£1,774 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

What is The University of Birmingham School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The University of Birmingham School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was The University of Birmingham School last inspected by Ofsted?

The University of Birmingham School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does The University of Birmingham School have?

The University of Birmingham School has 1,188 pupils on roll.

What age range does The University of Birmingham School cover?

The University of Birmingham School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are The University of Birmingham School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.8, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The University of Birmingham School?

The University of Birmingham School is at Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 6QU.