Small Heath Leadership Academy

Small Heath Leadership Academy is performing well overall, achieving a good rating in all inspected areas. This is the academy's first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, following its establishment in January 2018 as part of the Star Academies Trust. Pupils appreciate the education they receive, noting the supportive environment and strong community values that celebrate diversity. Leaders maintain high expectations for pupil achievement and actively foster connections with the wider community to enhance the educational experience.

Strengths

• Pupils value and appreciate the education provided.
• Strong community values encourage service, teamwork, ambition, and respect.
• Effective support from peers helps new pupils integrate well.
• Leaders have clear ambitions for pupil outcomes.
• The curriculum is well-sequenced in most subjects.
• Strong emphasis on reading and support for early readers.
• Behaviour management is effective and consistent.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not consistently use checks on pupils' learning.
• Opportunities for pupils to deepen and extend their knowledge are limited.

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 Small Heath Leadership Academy attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.4% 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, 3.5% of pupils at Small Heath Leadership Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Small Heath Leadership Academy had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.2% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Small Heath Leadership Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 Small Heath Leadership Academy received £9,244 and spent £8,151 for each of its 1,190 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £5,364,000 (£4,507 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Star Academies, income was £8,430 and spending £8,333 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

Small Heath Leadership Academy is part of Star Academies, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• The Olive School, Small Heath Birmingham
• Starbank School Birmingham
• Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Birmingham Birmingham
• Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Birmingham East Birmingham
• The Olive School, Birmingham Birmingham
• Star King Solomon Academy Birmingham
• Eden Boys' School, Birmingham Birmingham
• Eden Girls' School, Coventry Coventry
• Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Manchester Manchester
• Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester Manchester

What is Small Heath Leadership Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Small Heath Leadership Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Small Heath Leadership Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Small Heath Leadership Academy was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Small Heath Leadership Academy have?

Small Heath Leadership Academy has 1,131 pupils on roll.

What age range does Small Heath Leadership Academy cover?

Small Heath Leadership Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Small Heath Leadership Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.6, and 55% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Small Heath Leadership Academy?

Small Heath Leadership Academy is at Muntz Street, Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, B10 9RX.