Birmingham Secondary Schools

[HairySandwiches]

Hi all.

I’m on the hunt for advice and recommendations on secondary schools.

Not looking for any super duper amazing ones where you have to live within 150meters of the gates. Just nice, decent schools which may or may not be the best in the area but have good teaching, supportive parents and people who live a little bit further away might have a chance at.

They need to be in reasonable distance of bus or train route from the city centre. I don’t care about the religion of the school (but won’t be applying for a faith place), or ethnic mix (DS one of the 10% white British in primary). DS like rugby, plays an instrument and is part of a scout group (so guess I’m saying he would fit in at most types of schools).

Context:
DS starting secondary September 2021. We apply this year. We have lots of faith schools near us which, between our lack of religious faith, not attending feeder schools and not living within 200m of the school, we have absolutely no hope but will be naming a couple anyways.
We also have three dreadful schools, City, Central and Jewellery Quarter academies, two of which are undergoing a merger (so no idea what’s going to happen there) but we will have to put one down as a banker. DS will be doing 11+ and KES exam. Both are a bit of a stab in the dark and hope for the best but you never know. Plus KES also needs to come with a very very heavily assisted place to be feasible.

Hence, I’m asking if anyone knows/recommends any schools which are a little bit further out (or even a long way out) which would be worth investigating.

Thanks for reading this far, looking forward to your suggestions

Hey OP - I kind of think you're searching for the Holy Grail there! All the 'nice, decent' schools will be over subscribed because they are - you know - nice and decent. If schools like that had places going spare there wouldn't be so many kids stuck in the 'dreadful' schools.

I'm in Birmingham, people are all in the same boat. It's ace the (crazily competitive)11+, go private or take your chances with whichever state school you're closest to/most likely to get into.

Have you looked into the University of Birmingham school application process?
I've not applied myself, so you'd need to check it out, but I understand their social mix is gained by some % being from within catchment of the school, and then some % (sorry, I don't know the figures) being distance from 3 railway stations - one of which I think is the Jewellery Quarter. So a lot of young people travel in from those hubs.

Boy or girl?

A friend's children decided not to apply to any of the grammars and were all very happy at Kings's Norton Boys & Kings Norton Girls Schools (the girl is still there).

Sorry saw it was a ds. Friend had two boys go through KN.

Kings Norton Girls and Boys are nice schools.
Or you do the King Edwards exams.
Otherwise, for somewhere that will have a mix e.g. Bournville.

I completely understand that this is a total stab in the dark but I’m holding onto that glimmer of hope that there is somewhere out there which is ok but maybe there are better schools around so it’s avoided.

As I mentioned, depending on the 11+ outcome, grammar will be first choice, followed by at least 2 faith schools which we don’t really have a chance at but there’re close, then 2 other schools and finally the banker school.

I don’t see the point in not using all the preferences and I’d rather use them on further away schools which are ok rather than all 3 of the close by ones which are just dreadful - (10% pass rate at GCSE at the nearest one. It is not acceptable as far as I’m concerned) - or all the close faith schools which we haven’t a chance at because both of those ways of doing to are unnecessarily wasting choices.

@BackforGood thank you, I will look into the university of Birmingham school I didn’t realise they had admissions criteria that covered different parts of the city.

@Comefromaway Kings Norton would be good if we could get it but it’s popular and we’re too far away for it. Thank you though I will have a look at their cut off distances.

@Johnsonsfiat I shall certainly look at bourneville and see whether there is any chance. Thank you.

Lordswood boys - just become an academy and seems to be on the up. Worth considering now because might be one of those places to be in a few years (or it might not, depends on the new leadership)

Mosley - average school which you might just be in the cut off for as long as your the southern end of the city centre

Harbourne academy - average school which again, you might just be in the cut off for depending on which side of the city centre you are

Small Heath academy - know very little about it but I know it’s not far from the city centre

Holte school - has a small catchment but if you’re more towards the north of city centre you might have a chance

Shenley academy - although they’ve had a lot of trouble recently with teachers being on strike and inadequate OFSTED so although you might get a place and the results are better you’re probably best off with the ones on you’re doorstep.

I would second bourneville school. It’s not the best but it’s dragging itself up slowly, results are higher (30% ish at GCSE), last year they admitted everyone who applied with spaces to spare, I heard they’ve just started an army cadet force in school? and sounds better than what you have on you’re doorstep.

If your not religious I wouldn’t consider any further away religious schools. You’ll have no chance of getting a place.

Just to add, I have no idea how easy it is to get to these schools from the city centre.

Heartlands High School is doing v well atm, in terms of prog8, but also in terms of %5+ and %4+ etc. Not sure how big their catchment circle is though.
If your options are Jewellery Quarter School etc, you're too far away for KNB, for sure.

How near are you to the Jewellry Quarter station? That’s one of the criteria for UoB School. Their first GCSE results are due this year so it will be interesting to see how they do. The location is nice though and they have lots of input from the university.

Sorry was that a mis spelling- 10% pass rate at GCSE????

@mmmmmmcheeeesssseeee that’s excellent. Thank you. I will look into some of those schools and their cut off distances. I’ll probably avoid shenley though.

@BournvilleGreen Heartlands has a very very small catchment which, like you say, is probably a result of how well they are doing. I did look at it but we’re just too far out of it. There’s more chance at kings Norton than heartlands and even that’s a slim chance. Thanks you though.

@crazycrofter we’re too far from jewellery quarter station from the cut off distances for the last few years and it seems to be shrinking each year but I’m putting it on my investigate further list even if it doesn’t go down as one of the choices. I agree will be interesting to see how they have done.

@Theresnobslikeshowbs I wish it was a misprint. Unfortunately not. Although I quoted the 5+ English and maths pass rate, it’s slightly higher at 4 + : 26%

city-birmingham.academy/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KS4-Results-2018-2019.pdf

Just for everyone, take the O2 Academy as a guide. That’s our nearest big(ish) landmark.

HairySandwiches I live in Wales so no GS’s and still A-G grades.

Ds’s high school although the best performing in the area, is in an area of high deprivation. Our last year results I’ve just checked was, 75% 5 or more A-C grades, 30% 5 or more A-A, 100% all exams A*-G.
I thought that was ok for a school like this with the range of pupils they have (A lot of free school meals, English as a second language, Sen).

How can a school produce such low results? Even ‘poor schools’ still have good students. How is this allowed to happen? Is it poor management? Poor teaching? A lot of NQT’s? Part of a ‘group’ (again we don’t get them around here).

Sorry I’m just really shocked, and if that was the only option I had, I would home school or move. Poor kids, talk about being letting down by the system.

I don’t think you will have a chance at KNBS from the JQ. The distance is usually around 2500m and always worth remembering that will include siblings getting in under priority.

UoB is probably your best bet from there with their strange hub admissions model. Really you need to be looking at schools who accepted all applicants and see what’s on that list.

Are you also going to do the Walsall 11plus? It would be worth the it as there’s a fast direct bus from the city centre to Walsall.

By the way, so far the cut off score for KE Hamdsworth is 213, and this will definitely go down. So the change in catchment roles hasn’t changed the fact that it’s still easier to get into than the other grammars. If KES/grammars don’t come off, would you consider home education?

@Theresnobslikeshowbs I really don’t know what it is but it’s just appalling and is the whole reason im looking at other options. You’re school sounds amazing. If I could I would move tomorrow.

@SellFridges you’re right. I’ve been investigating and KNBS is a definite no chance unfortunately. Thanks for the advice about how siblings are included in the cut off distances I hadn’t realised that. I just assumed it was the distance category cut off.

@crazycrofter Ooooooh.... I hadn’t thought about Walsall. That’s very interesting. Thank you.
That’s good that the catchment areas haven’t seemed to change things a lot. How are you finding out what the cut off scores are?

Unfortunately home education isn’t an option as I need to work so DS is going to have to go to school somewhere.

@hairysandwiches look here at the bottom of the page

www.birminghamgrammarschools.org/content/results-and-offers

We also have three dreadful schools, City, Central and Jewellery Quarter academies, two of which are undergoing a merger

Oh goodness OP. I work at a secondary free school round the corner from Holte and we get parents every day desperate to get their kids out of there.

What about George Dixon? Last year lots of parents were given that instead of us, they complained mightily but their results are pretty decent and if it's undersubscribed you might have a good chance of getting a place. Certainly there were parents in Aston being given that school and it sounds like you might be closer.

Harborne academy also might be worth a look.

@crazycrofter you are an absolute star! You never fail to provide some brilliant advice/information.

@SexIsAProtectedCharacteristic thank you for confirming I am doing the right thing in looking about and not “giving them a chance” (I won’t lie. It was in the back of my mind to give them a chance if everything didn’t work out - now I know they are best avoided)

I shall certainly look at George Dixon. Although I’ve never actually heard of it so will be interesting to see what it’s like. Thank you.

@hairysandwiches you’re welcome 😊 The Walsall 11 plus is the same format as Birmingham but there’s slightly more weighting given to Maths.

We began home tutoring around June for ds (not ideal though as we did make him do work in the summer holidays so maybe start a bit earlier!). The packs of test papers you can get from Smiths were good to practise technique. Make sure you get CEM style and not GL.

HairySandwiches I would usually have a lot of sympathy with the 'just give it a chance' viewpoint, but anecdotally from parents the behaviour is appalling at Central and JQ. And they have no outside space I don't think and no possibility of getting any.

I hope you manage to find a good school for your DS, the Walsall info is new to me as well, so hopefully you've got some avenues to explore.

Hi. We’re also doing the same. Looking for school places for 2021.

I think your doing the right thing applying for KES and grammars. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. And KES has a really good assisted places scheme.

You may have already found it but take a look at this booklet, might help you with cut off distances and locations.
www.birmingham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/10464/secondary_schools_admission_arrangements_2020.pdf

I was doing a similar school search last week and made a list of all schools which offered all applicants last year just to see what else was possibly available. I’ll be/I have been narrowing it down as I look into the schools. Like you, I don’t see the point in wasting preferences. Here it is (full, non narrowed down list without my local ones which you won’t have a chance at);

Bourneville School
City Academy
Cockshut Hill School
Four Dwellings Academy
George Dixon Academy
Great Barr Academy
Jewellery Quarter Academy
John Willmott School
KEVI Balaam Wood Academy
King Solomon international business school
Lordswood Boys School
Moseley School
Small heath Academy
Tile cross academy
Turves Green boys school
Washwood Heath academy

(Sorry, it’s copied and pasted so might be schools on there you’ve already ruled out)

I’ll keep an eye on your thread. Some of the schools on that list you will look at and cross out immediately (I don’t blame you) and some are local to me so I won’t be ruling them out yet. I have asked to go and see them so when I have I’ll let you know more about them.

Interesting! I used to work at Cockshut. They've had a very difficult few years, but I believe things are starting to turn round for them now. I would add King Solomon to the 'do not touch with a bargepole' list also.

Balaam Wood and Turves Green are two of the local schools we ruled out. They have difficult catchments, particularly Balaam Wood. However we didn’t visit them so I can’t really judge. The KE foundation are supporting Balaam Wood now, but they tend to have quite a low ability intake.

As we’re nearer the south side of Birmingham our back up was a school in Bromsgrove. They have middle schools which go from 9-13 and they used to lose a few to grammars or independents in year 7 so they usually had spaces. However now the grammar catchment rules have changed this has affected Bromsgrove, so there may not be many year 7 spaces. Probably too far for you anyway?

Alvechurch Middle is accessible by train from New St/Five Ways and so is Aston Fields Middle. You’d then need to hope there was a space in year 9 at one of the high schools when the time came so a risky option.

@Neim there is a reason those schools offered to all applicants, and that's because they aren't schools people want their children to attend.
@HairySandwiches we lived v close to where you are, our options were City academy or Harborne academy so we moved.