Smith's Wood Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Windward Way Smith's Wood Birmingham West Midlands B36 0UE |
| Phone | 01217884100 |
| Reference Number | 143895 |
Smith's Wood Academy has demonstrated notable progress since its last inspection, particularly in improving attendance and behaviour among pupils. Leaders have effectively created a positive and open culture of safeguarding, ensuring that pupils feel safe and supported. The leadership team, which has undergone significant changes, has set clear goals and is effectively addressing the needs of pupils, especially those facing barriers to learning. However, concerns remain regarding pupils' achievement in national examinations, which continues to lag behind national averages, indicating that not all pupils are reaching their potential despite some evidence of improved progress.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 744 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 47.18%
Girls: 52.82% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 60.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 8.7% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.2 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 72 | 61 | 133 |
| 8 | 83 | 96 | 179 |
| 9 | 80 | 77 | 157 |
| 10 | 46 | 72 | 118 |
| 11 | 70 | 87 | 157 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 68.4% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 8.5% |
| African | 5.6% |
| White & Asian | 3.1% |
| White, Other | 2.7% |
| Pakistani | 2.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.4% |
| Caribbean | 1.5% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.8% |
| Chinese | 0.5% |
| Indian | 0.5% |
| Unclassified | 0.5% |
| Asian, Other | 0.3% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 13 Jan 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 13 Jan 2026 | School inspection |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Monitoring visit |
| 10 Dec 2024 | Monitoring visit |
| 01 May 2024 | Monitoring visit |
| 11 Oct 2023 | Monitoring visit |
| 07 Mar 2023 | School inspection |
| 01 May 2019 | Full inspection |
| 08 Mar 2018 | Monitoring visit |
| Converted to an academy |
Strengths
- Active and effective safeguarding culture in the school.
- Improved attendance rates due to dedicated leadership efforts.
- Positive behaviour among pupils reflects high expectations.
- Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
- Effective use of pupil premium funding improving progress for disadvantaged pupils.
- Extensive and regular training for staff to enhance support for pupils.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils’ achievement in national examinations is below the national average.
- Gaps in important knowledge and skills, particularly in writing.
- Inconsistent quality of teaching affecting pupils' learning experiences.
- Incomplete or inaccurate work produced by some pupils.
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 32.2 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 18.6% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 30.1% |
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
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 52 | 14 |
| Third Preference | 30 | 5 |
| From another Local Authority | 121 | 31 |
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 John the Baptist Catholic Primary School
Arran Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0QE |
0.12 miles |
|
Kingshurst Primary School
School Close, Kingshurst, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 6BN |
0.29 miles |
|
Smith's Wood Primary Academy
Burton's Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0SZ |
0.35 miles |
|
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
Fordbridge Road, Kingshurst, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 6LW |
0.54 miles |
|
Yorkswood Primary School
Kingshurst Way, Kingshurst, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 6DF |
0.72 miles |
|
Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School
Hurst Lane, Shard End, Birmingham, West Midlands, B34 7HN |
0.82 miles |
|
Castle Bromwich Junior School
Castle Bromwich Junior School Hurst Lane North, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0HD |
0.89 miles |
|
Castle Bromwich Infant and Nursery School
Green Lane, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0BX |
0.94 miles |
|
Hillstone Primary School
Hillstone Road, Shard End, Birmingham, West Midlands, B34 7PY |
0.96 miles |
|
Water Orton Primary School
Plank Lane, Water Orton, Birmingham, Warwickshire, B46 1SG |
1.08 miles |
|
Timberley Academy
Bradley Road, Shard End, Birmingham, West Midlands, B34 7RL |
1.12 miles |
|
Fordbridge Community Primary School
Crabtree Drive, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 5BU |
1.18 miles |
|
St Anne's Catholic Primary School
Bosworth Drive, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 5DP |
1.24 miles |
|
Leycroft Academy
Gressel Lane, Birmingham, B33 9UE |
1.46 miles |
|
Windy Arbor Primary School
Woodlands Way, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 6RN |
1.49 miles |
|
Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School
10 Craig Croft, Chelmund's Cross, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 7TR |
1.5 miles |
|
High Meadow Community School
High Meadow Community School, Norton Road, Coleshill, Warwickshire, B46 1ES |
1.52 miles |
|
Brownmead Primary Academy
Pencroft Road, Shard End, Birmingham, West Midlands, B34 6SS |
1.52 miles |
|
Coleshill Church of England Primary School
Wingfield Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, West Midlands, B46 3LL |
1.59 miles |
|
The Shirestone Academy
Shirestone Road, Tile Cross, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 0DH |
1.61 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Forest Oak School
Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0UE |
0.1 miles |
|
Merstone School
Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0UE |
0.1 miles |
|
The Heights Academy
Auckland Drive, Solihull, B36 0DD |
0.78 miles |
|
Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst
Cooks Lane, Solihull, Birmingham, B37 6NU |
0.86 miles |
|
Castlewood School
Lanchester Way, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 9LF |
1.02 miles |
|
John Henry Newman Catholic College
Chelmsley Road, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 5GA |
1.02 miles |
|
WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull)
Chelmsley Road, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, B37 5FD |
1.09 miles |
|
SILVER BIRCH SCHOOL
170 Packington Avenue, Shard End, Birmingham, B34 7RD |
1.23 miles |
|
Park Hall Academy
Water Orton Road, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 9HF |
1.24 miles |
|
Tile Cross Academy
Gressel Lane, Tile Cross, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 9UF |
1.48 miles |
|
Centre for Accelerated Learning
Sheldon Hall Avenue, Birmingham, B33 0HA |
1.49 miles |
|
Grace Academy Solihull
Chapelhouse Road, Chelmsey Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 5JS |
1.66 miles |
|
The Coleshill School
Coventry Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, Warwickshire, B46 3EX |
1.87 miles |
|
Hallmoor School
50 Scholars Gate, Kitts Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 0DL |
1.91 miles |
|
Woodlands
Packington Lane, Coleshill, Birmingham, West Midlands, B46 3JE |
1.92 miles |
|
Kitts Green Academy
Hallmoor Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 9QY |
1.99 miles |
|
Lift Greenwood
Farnborough Road, Castle Vale, Birmingham, West Midlands, B35 7NL |
2.19 miles |
|
King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy
Sheldon Heath Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, West Midlands, B26 2RZ |
2.57 miles |
|
Cockshut Hill School
Cockshut Hill, Yardley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B26 2HX |
2.78 miles |
|
Riverside Education
2 Riverside Drive, Stechford, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 9BF |
3.08 miles |