Belvidere School

Belvidere School is a secondary comprehensive academy in the TrustEd Schools Alliance, inspected for the first time under section 5 in April 2025, although its predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding. Pupils describe a stronger sense of community and belonging, and inspectors found that recent improvements, a new building and higher expectations are helping most pupils learn more consistently and feel safe. Personal development and leadership and management are strengths, with effective safeguarding, a broad Belvidere Baccalaureate offer, improved communication and clear trust support. The school's curriculum identifies key knowledge securely and reading support is strong, while provision for pupils with SEND has recently improved. However, the quality of education and behaviour and attitudes still require improvement. Assessment is not consistently precise enough to identify gaps, some teaching does not follow the agreed approach, and some pupils, often the most vulnerable, struggle to meet behaviour expectations and receive sanctions or suspensions that interrupt their learning. Attendance is improving but remains a concern for some vulnerable pupils, who miss valuable learning and wider opportunities. Published outcomes reflect that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders have an astute understanding of the school's development and have taken appropriate action, with governors and trustees offering ambitious support and challenge. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Curriculum key knowledge and sequencing are secure across the school with trust support
• Strong reading provision identifies pupils early and develops a love of reading
• Recent SEND improvements help identify needs more precisely and support achievement
• Personal development is a clear strength through the Belvidere Baccalaureate
• Pupils benefit from an extensive range of clubs, activities, trips and leadership roles
• Careers advice is supportive and well informed, helping pupils access ambitious destinations
• Leaders have an astute understanding of school development and have driven positive change
• Governors and trustees are ambitious and provide consistent support and challenge
• Staff report renewed pride and say leaders consider their workload
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Attendance strategy is having a positive impact for many pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not used precisely enough to identify when pupils have fully understood learning
• Some pupils lack secure knowledge and struggle to apply learning to more complex tasks
• Some teaching strategies do not align with the school's agreed teaching and learning approach
• A minority of pupils, often vulnerable, struggle to meet behaviour expectations and receive sanctions or suspensions
• Some vulnerable pupils still miss too much school and lose learning and development opportunities
• Published outcomes show some pupils do not achieve as well as they could

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 Belvidere School attended 90.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.6% 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, 9.6% of pupils at Belvidere School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Belvidere School had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 16.1% of pupils at Belvidere School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Belvidere School received £8,103 and spent £7,269 for each of its 841 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £903,000 (£1,073 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Trusted Schools Alliance, income was £7,816 and spending £7,358 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 Shrewsbury · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

Belvidere School is part of Trusted Schools Alliance, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Meole Brace School Shrewsbury
• Mary Webb School and Science College Shrewsbury
• Church Stretton School Church Stretton
• St Leonard's CofE Primary School Bridgnorth
• Castlefields Primary School Bridgnorth
• Oldbury Wells School Bridgnorth
• Stokesay Primary School Craven Arms
• Alveley Primary School Bridgnorth

What is Belvidere School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Belvidere School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Belvidere School last inspected by Ofsted?

Belvidere School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Belvidere School have?

Belvidere School has 830 pupils on roll.

What age range does Belvidere School cover?

Belvidere School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Belvidere School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.9, and 35% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Belvidere School?

Belvidere School is at Belvidere Lane, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5RJ.