Saltley Academy

Saltley Academy is performing well as a good school, demonstrating a positive and inclusive environment for its pupils. The strong leadership has crafted a curriculum that is both broad and ambitious, with a focus on preparing students for future success. Although the pupils exhibit resilience and determination, some challenges remain in recalling key knowledge due to insufficient depth of study in certain subjects. Furthermore, the school is actively working on improving reading support for students with weak literacy skills, acknowledging the need for a more comprehensive approach.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and confident in seeking support from staff.
• Leaders have created a tolerant and harmonious school community.
• The curriculum is ambitious and includes effective oracy development.
• Teachers possess sound subject knowledge and adapt teaching effectively.
• Pupils with SEND receive tailored support and develop secure skills.
• There is a strong focus on citizenship and personal development.
• Staff morale is high, with a supportive work environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have not had enough opportunities to study subjects in depth.
• Leaders have not developed comprehensive systems for supporting weak readers.

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 Saltley Academy attended 89.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 35.1% 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, 16.5% of pupils at Saltley Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 Saltley Academy had 14.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 18.7% of pupils at Saltley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 29 pupils.

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 Saltley Academy received £9,335 and spent £9,074 for each of its 1,395 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,479,000 (£1,060 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust, income was £9,233 and spending £8,951 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

Saltley Academy is part of Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Washwood Heath Academy Birmingham
• Firs Primary School Birmingham
• Gossey Lane Academy Birmingham
• Brownmead Primary Academy Birmingham
• Tile Cross Academy Birmingham
• Timberley Academy Birmingham
• Topcliffe Primary School Birmingham

What is Saltley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saltley Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Saltley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Saltley Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Saltley Academy have?

Saltley Academy has 1,356 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saltley Academy cover?

Saltley Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Saltley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.8, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Saltley Academy?

Saltley Academy is at Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B9 5RX.