The Friary School

This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, The Friary School, inspected in November 2017.

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 Friary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.6% 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, 3.2% of pupils at The Friary School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Friary School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.7% 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, 11.9% of pupils at The Friary School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Friary School received £7,712 and spent £7,374 for each of its 1,220 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,127,000 (£924 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Primitas Learning Partnership, income was £8,430 and spending £8,235 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 Lichfield · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

The Friary School is part of Primitas Learning Partnership, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Queen's Croft High School Lichfield
• Highfields Primary Academy Burntwood
• Ridgeway Primary Academy Burntwood
• Holly Grove Primary Academy Burntwood
• Erasmus Darwin Academy Burntwood
• Henry Chadwick Primary School Rugeley

What is The Friary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Friary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2017 of its predecessor, The Friary School.

When was The Friary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Friary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does The Friary School have?

The Friary School has 1,255 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Friary School cover?

The Friary School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Friary School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.5, and 65% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Friary School?

The Friary School is at Eastern Avenue, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7EW.