State secondary schools in Birmingham
89 schools · West Midlands · 2024/25 Department for Education figures
Birmingham has 89 state secondaries, 50 of them with sixth forms, 8 grammar schools among them. 75.7% of families got their first choice last year, worse than most of England. Results run from 12.7% to 99.4% passing English and maths, a spread of 87 points, with a middle school at 43.7%, almost exactly England's 45.4%.
Of those Ofsted has graded, 11 rated Outstanding, 55 Good, 4 Requires improvement. 19 schools carry no overall grade at all — either inspected since Ofsted stopped issuing one in September 2024, or never inspected.
Birmingham against England
State-funded schools, 2024/25
Getting a place
2026/27 secondary admissions round, across Birmingham
75.7%
Got their first choiceof those who applied
England 84%
93.1%
Got one of their threefirst, second or third
<0.1%
Got no offer at allfrom any preference
12%
Appeals upheld80 of 674 heard
These are figures for Birmingham as a whole. A popular school can be much harder to get into than the average suggests, and the criteria that decide it are set by each school's own admission authority rather than centrally. How applying works
How much the choice matters here
Across Birmingham's 86 schools, the share passing English and maths runs from 13% to 99%. That is a spread of 87 percentage points, wider than most councils.
The typical council spans about 48 points. Where schools are close together the school a child gets matters less; where they are far apart it matters a great deal. The widest spreads are all selective areas, where grammar schools sit at one end and everything else at the other.
Birmingham schools, subject by subject
The share reaching grade 4 or above, among schools entering at least 20 pupils. Which pupils take a subject differs a lot between schools, so read this as what happened rather than as a ranking of teaching.
- 1 Ark Boulton Academy Birmingham · 23 entries 100%
- 2 Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Birmingham East Birmingham · 26 entries 100%
- 3 Rockwood Academy Birmingham · 27 entries 100%
- 4 Bishop Walsh Catholic School Sutton Coldfield · 43 entries 100%
- 5 King Edward VI Five Ways School Birmingham · 121 entries 100%
- 6 King Edward VI King's Norton School for Boys Birmingham · 50 entries 100%
- 7 Saltley Academy Birmingham · 35 entries 100%
- 8 Washwood Heath Academy Birmingham · 28 entries 100%
- 9 Plantsbrook School Sutton Coldfield · 48 entries 100%
- 10 King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys Birmingham · 124 entries 100%
- 11 Ninestiles, an Academy Birmingham · 62 entries 100%
- 12 Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Birmingham Birmingham · 24 entries 100%
- 13 Queensbridge School Birmingham · 29 entries 100%
- 14 Hodge Hill College Birmingham · 50 entries 100%
- 15 St Paul's School for Girls Birmingham · 34 entries 100%
- 16 King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy Birmingham · 27 entries 100%
- 17 Eden Boys' School, Birmingham Birmingham · 27 entries 100%
- 18 King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls Birmingham · 42 entries 100%
- 19 King Edward VI Handsworth School Birmingham · 191 entries 100%
- 20 Swanshurst School Birmingham · 109 entries 100%
- 21 Hall Green School Birmingham · 32 entries 100%
- 22 Kings Norton Girls' School Birmingham · 55 entries 100%
- 23 Ark Victoria Academy Birmingham · 49 entries 100%
- 24 Wheelers Lane Technology College Birmingham · 29 entries 100%
- 25 King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls Birmingham · 148 entries 100%
- 26 King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys Birmingham · 144 entries 100%
- 27 The University of Birmingham School Birmingham · 50 entries 100%
- 28 Hodge Hill Girls' School Birmingham · 25 entries 100%
- 29 Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls Sutton Coldfield · 178 entries 99%
- 30 Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Sutton Coldfield · 175 entries 99%
- 31 Fairfax Sutton Coldfield · 102 entries 98%
- 32 Colmers School and Sixth Form College Birmingham · 48 entries 98%
- 33 King Edward VI Aston School Birmingham · 140 entries 98%
- 34 The Arthur Terry School Sutton Coldfield · 45 entries 98%
- 35 Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form Birmingham · 43 entries 98%
- 36 Aston University Engineering Academy Birmingham · 38 entries 97%
- 37 St Edmund Campion Catholic School Birmingham · 58 entries 97%
- 38 E-ACT Heartlands Academy Birmingham · 25 entries 96%
- 39 Lordswood Boys' School Birmingham · 25 entries 96%
- 40 Turves Green Boys' School Birmingham · 24 entries 96%
- 41 Kings Heath Secondary School Birmingham · 45 entries 96%
- 42 Bournville School Birmingham · 21 entries 95%
- 43 St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School Birmingham · 61 entries 95%
- 44 Selly Park Girls' School Birmingham · 38 entries 95%
- 45 Arena Academy Birmingham · 33 entries 94%
- 46 Erdington Academy Birmingham · 49 entries 94%
- 47 Tile Cross Academy Birmingham · 28 entries 93%
- 48 Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre Birmingham · 41 entries 93%
- 49 Cockshut Hill School Birmingham · 37 entries 92%
- 50 Small Heath Leadership Academy Birmingham · 23 entries 91%
- 51 Lift Four Dwellings Secondary Birmingham · 23 entries 91%
- 52 The Royal Sutton School Sutton Coldfield · 22 entries 91%
- 53 Waverley School Birmingham · 44 entries 91%
- 54 Holyhead School Birmingham · 39 entries 90%
- 55 Aston Manor Academy Birmingham · 47 entries 89%
- 56 Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School Birmingham · 27 entries 89%
- 57 Stockland Green School Birmingham · 27 entries 89%
- 58 Holte School Birmingham · 57 entries 88%
- 59 Bishop Challoner Catholic College Birmingham · 61 entries 87%
- 60 King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls Birmingham · 42 entries 86%
- 61 Birmingham Ormiston Academy Birmingham · 25 entries 84%
- 62 Moseley School and Sixth Form Birmingham · 30 entries 83%
- 63 St John Wall Catholic School Birmingham · 23 entries 83%
- 64 Nishkam High School Birmingham · 58 entries 81%
- 65 Harborne Academy Birmingham · 52 entries 79%
- 66 Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School Birmingham · 83 entries 75%
- 67 George Dixon Academy Birmingham · 62 entries 73%
- 68 Lift Greenwood Birmingham · 28 entries 68%
- 69 City Academy Birmingham · 47 entries 66%
- 70 Bartley Green School Birmingham · 73 entries 63%
- 71 Hamstead Hall Academy Birmingham · 83 entries 60%
- 72 Yardleys School Birmingham · 172 entries 52%
Parent guides
Thinking about a tutor?
Are tutors worth it?
What tutoring can and cannot fix, and how to tell which you are looking at.
How much does a tutor cost
Typical hourly rates by subject and level, and what changes them.
When to start tutoring
Why the term before an exam is usually later than parents expect.
How to know if it's working
What to look for after a month, beyond the next test score.
Every school in Birmingham
Schools in neighbouring authorities are not in this list, because admissions run per authority. See bordering areas.
24 of 89 have no spare places. Sort the list, or narrow it first.
- Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 34%
- Attainment 8
- 41.7
- Absence
- 32%
- Arena Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 40%
- Attainment 8
- 44.5
- Absence
- 19%
- Ark Boulton Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 42%
- Attainment 8
- 44.2
- Absence
- 16%
- Ark Kings Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 24%
- Attainment 8
- 36.5
- Absence
- 21%
- Ark St Alban's Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 53%
- Attainment 8
- 46.9
- Absence
- 11%
- Ark Victoria Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 45%
- Attainment 8
- 48.4
- Absence
- 17%
- Aston Manor Academy Birmingham · Outstanding. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 41%
- Attainment 8
- 44.6
- Absence
- 19%
- Aston University Engineering Academy Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 48%
- Attainment 8
- 44.1
- Absence
- 16%
- Bartley Green School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 30%
- Attainment 8
- 39.9
- Absence
- 30%
- Birmingham Ormiston Academy Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 60%
- Attainment 8
- 54.1
- Absence
- 22%
- Bishop Challoner Catholic College Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 53%
- Attainment 8
- 48.4
- Absence
- 21%
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Sutton Coldfield · Outstanding.
- Eng & maths
- 97%
- Attainment 8
- 77.1
- Absence
- 5%
- Bishop Walsh Catholic School Sutton Coldfield · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 65%
- Attainment 8
- 56
- Absence
- 19%
- BOA Digital Technologies Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- —
- Attainment 8
- —
- Absence
- 23%
- Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 45%
- Attainment 8
- 49.8
- Absence
- 14%
- Bournville School Birmingham · Requires improvement.
- Eng & maths
- 30%
- Attainment 8
- 36.5
- Absence
- 32%
- Broadway Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 34%
- Attainment 8
- 42.7
- Absence
- 19%
- Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 49%
- Attainment 8
- 47
- Absence
- 27%
- Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy Birmingham · Requires improvement.
- Eng & maths
- —
- Attainment 8
- —
- Absence
- 29%
- City Academy Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 23%
- Attainment 8
- 36.4
- Absence
- 28%
- Cockshut Hill School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 28%
- Attainment 8
- 38.3
- Absence
- 28%
- Colmers School and Sixth Form College Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 31%
- Attainment 8
- 41.7
- Absence
- 33%
- Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 42%
- Attainment 8
- 44.6
- Absence
- 34%
- E-ACT Heartlands Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 47%
- Attainment 8
- 50.3
- Absence
- 9%
- E-ACT North Birmingham Academy Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 41%
- Attainment 8
- 43.9
- Absence
- 8%
- E-ACT Shenley Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 17%
- Attainment 8
- 31.6
- Absence
- 35%
- Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Birmingham East Birmingham · Outstanding.
- Eng & maths
- 75%
- Attainment 8
- 60.8
- Absence
- 10%
- Eden Boys' School, Birmingham Birmingham · Outstanding.
- Eng & maths
- 76%
- Attainment 8
- 61.3
- Absence
- 6%
- Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Birmingham Birmingham · Outstanding. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 73%
- Attainment 8
- 62.1
- Absence
- 17%
- Erdington Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 29%
- Attainment 8
- 40.6
- Absence
- 25%
- Fairfax Sutton Coldfield · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 53%
- Attainment 8
- 49.1
- Absence
- 21%
- Fortis Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 27%
- Attainment 8
- 37.9
- Absence
- 30%
- George Dixon Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 15%
- Attainment 8
- 33.3
- Absence
- 30%
- Hall Green School Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 32%
- Attainment 8
- 42.5
- Absence
- 26%
- Hamstead Hall Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 36%
- Attainment 8
- 42.1
- Absence
- 14%
- Harborne Academy Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 44%
- Attainment 8
- 44.6
- Absence
- 13%
- Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 47%
- Attainment 8
- 52.1
- Absence
- 20%
- Hodge Hill College Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 40%
- Attainment 8
- 45.1
- Absence
- 19%
- Hodge Hill Girls' School Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 46%
- Attainment 8
- 48.7
- Absence
- 16%
- Holte School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 24%
- Attainment 8
- 39.4
- Absence
- 23%
- Holy Trinity Catholic School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 36%
- Attainment 8
- 44
- Absence
- 23%
- Holyhead School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 33%
- Attainment 8
- 43.2
- Absence
- 18%
- Jewellery Quarter Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 28%
- Attainment 8
- 35.2
- Absence
- 23%
- King Edward VI Aston School Birmingham · Outstanding. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 97%
- Attainment 8
- 71.2
- Absence
- 11%
- King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 32%
- Attainment 8
- 41.4
- Absence
- 29%
- King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys Birmingham · Outstanding. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 97%
- Attainment 8
- 75.7
- Absence
- 11%
- King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls Birmingham · Outstanding. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 98%
- Attainment 8
- 80.4
- Absence
- 10%
- King Edward VI Five Ways School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 97%
- Attainment 8
- 75.9
- Absence
- 6%
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 97%
- Attainment 8
- 72
- Absence
- 7%
- King Edward VI Handsworth School Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 98%
- Attainment 8
- 74.2
- Absence
- 11%
- King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 46%
- Attainment 8
- 48
- Absence
- 18%
- King Edward VI King's Norton School for Boys Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 56%
- Attainment 8
- 47.6
- Absence
- 19%
- King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 60%
- Attainment 8
- 56.8
- Absence
- 14%
- King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 47%
- Attainment 8
- 46
- Absence
- 27%
- King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 45%
- Attainment 8
- 47.4
- Absence
- 23%
- Kings Heath Secondary School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 40%
- Attainment 8
- 40
- Absence
- 23%
- Kings Norton Girls' School Birmingham · Outstanding.
- Eng & maths
- 61%
- Attainment 8
- 56.6
- Absence
- 17%
- Lift Four Dwellings Secondary Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 35%
- Attainment 8
- 42.1
- Absence
- 31%
- Lift Greenwood Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 19%
- Attainment 8
- 31.8
- Absence
- 30%
- Lordswood Boys' School Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 45%
- Attainment 8
- 43.3
- Absence
- 22%
- Moseley School and Sixth Form Birmingham · Inspected under the current report card, which gives no overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 26%
- Attainment 8
- 39.7
- Absence
- 25%
- Ninestiles, an Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 40%
- Attainment 8
- 44.9
- Absence
- 24%
- Nishkam High School Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 55%
- Attainment 8
- 51.3
- Absence
- 14%
- Plantsbrook School Sutton Coldfield · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 60%
- Attainment 8
- 51.8
- Absence
- 20%
- Prince Albert High School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- —
- Attainment 8
- —
- Absence
- 25%
- Queensbridge School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 46%
- Attainment 8
- 48.5
- Absence
- 21%
- Rockwood Academy Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 23%
- Attainment 8
- 39.1
- Absence
- 29%
- Saltley Academy Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 29%
- Attainment 8
- 39.4
- Absence
- 33%
- Selly Park Girls' School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 47%
- Attainment 8
- 52.4
- Absence
- 20%
- Small Heath Leadership Academy Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 48%
- Attainment 8
- 45.7
- Absence
- 18%
- St Edmund Campion Catholic School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 38%
- Attainment 8
- 45.8
- Absence
- 22%
- St John Wall Catholic School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 39%
- Attainment 8
- 44.7
- Absence
- 21%
- St Paul's School for Girls Birmingham · Outstanding.
- Eng & maths
- 70%
- Attainment 8
- 61
- Absence
- 11%
- St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 50%
- Attainment 8
- 49.9
- Absence
- 20%
- Star King Solomon Academy Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 26%
- Attainment 8
- 34.1
- Absence
- 32%
- Starbank School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 62%
- Attainment 8
- 49
- Absence
- 24%
- Stockland Green School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 33%
- Attainment 8
- 40.3
- Absence
- 23%
- Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls Sutton Coldfield · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 99%
- Attainment 8
- 79.4
- Absence
- 7%
- Swanshurst School Birmingham · Outstanding.
- Eng & maths
- 51%
- Attainment 8
- 50.2
- Absence
- 14%
- The Arthur Terry School Sutton Coldfield · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 61%
- Attainment 8
- 55.4
- Absence
- 14%
- The Royal Sutton School Sutton Coldfield · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 33%
- Attainment 8
- 39.7
- Absence
- 36%
- The University of Birmingham School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 41%
- Attainment 8
- 45.5
- Absence
- 23%
- Tile Cross Academy Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 28%
- Attainment 8
- 35.6
- Absence
- 40%
- Turves Green Boys' School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 40%
- Attainment 8
- 37.3
- Absence
- 25%
- Washwood Heath Academy Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 39%
- Attainment 8
- 42.9
- Absence
- 24%
- Waverley School Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 34%
- Attainment 8
- 41.9
- Absence
- 33%
- Waverley Studio College Birmingham · Good.
- Eng & maths
- 13%
- Attainment 8
- 21.9
- Absence
- 51%
- Wheelers Lane Technology College Birmingham · Inspected, after Ofsted stopped issuing a single overall grade.
- Eng & maths
- 57%
- Attainment 8
- 48.4
- Absence
- 16%
- Yardleys School Birmingham · Good. · no spare places
- Eng & maths
- 46%
- Attainment 8
- 46.7
- Absence
- 15%
Pick up to 4 schools to see them side by side in the comparison tool, subject by subject.
Sixth form · Key stage 5·2024/25
A levels in Birmingham
43 of Birmingham's 50 sixth forms publish A level results. Ranked on the share reaching AAB or better in at least two of the subjects universities name, which is the measure the steepest entry requirements are written in.
- King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys B+ 62%
- King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls B+ 55%
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Sutton Coldfield B+ 45%
- King Edward VI Five Ways School B- 41%
- Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls Sutton Coldfield B+ 41%
- King Edward VI Handsworth School B 34%
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys B 31%
- Ark St Alban's Academy B- 29%
- King Edward VI Aston School B- 26%
- Aston Manor Academy C+ 19%
- Moseley School and Sixth Form C- 18%
- Nishkam High School B- 18%
- Kings Norton Girls' School C 17%
- St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School C+ 16%
- Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School C 16%
- St Paul's School for Girls B 15%
- Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre C+ 14%
- Bishop Challoner Catholic College C+ 12%
- The University of Birmingham School C+ 12%
- Swanshurst School C+ 12%
- Bishop Walsh Catholic School Sutton Coldfield C 10%
- Holyhead School C+ 10%
- Plantsbrook School Sutton Coldfield C 9%
- Holte School C 9%
- Aston University Engineering Academy C+ 9%
- E-ACT North Birmingham Academy D+ 8%
- Fairfax Sutton Coldfield D+ 8%
- The Arthur Terry School Sutton Coldfield C- 7%
- King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy C+ 6%
- Fortis Academy C 6%
- Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form C- 5%
- Hamstead Hall Academy C- 5%
- Colmers School and Sixth Form College C- 5%
- St Edmund Campion Catholic School C- 4%
- George Dixon Academy C- 3%
- King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy D+ 3%
- Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School D+ 3%
- Birmingham Ormiston Academy C 0%
- Broadway Academy D+ 0%
- King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls C- 0%
- Lift Greenwood D- 0%
- Waverley School E+ 0%
- Washwood Heath Academy C —
A level results only. A sixth form running mostly BTECs and other applied courses will show a dash here and can still be the right one — those are graded on their own scale, where a distinction and an A grade carry the same points and mean different things.
Bordering Birmingham
Near a boundary, schools on both sides are usually in reach. Whether a child can apply is set by each school's admission criteria, not by the border.
What these mean
- Attainment 8
- The average pupil's total score across eight GCSE-equivalent subjects, with English and maths counting double. It is scored out of 90. A score of 50 is roughly equivalent to achieving a grade 5 across eight subjects.
- Grades 4 and 5
- GCSEs are graded from 9 down to 1. Grade 4 is a standard pass and broadly corresponds to the old grade C; grade 5 is what the government calls a strong pass. Grade 7 is broadly equivalent to an old grade A.
- Persistent absence
- The share of pupils who miss at least 10% of their possible sessions during the school year. This includes both authorised and unauthorised absence, so illness and other authorised reasons are included. Persistent absence has remained substantially higher than its pre-pandemic level.
- First preference
- The share of families who were offered the school they ranked first on their application, on national offer day in March. This figure is calculated across the relevant schools or admissions authority, so a high overall figure does not necessarily mean that every individual school is easy to get into.
- Spare places
- The amount of available capacity a school has compared with the number of pupils on roll. This is different from oversubscription: spare places measure whether a school has capacity, whereas oversubscription describes demand for places exceeding the number available. A school with no spare places may be popular, but a small school can also be full without receiving a large number of applications.
- Average A-level grade
- The average grade achieved across students' A-level entries. This is different from measures such as the proportion achieving AAB or better in two or more facilitating subjects, which are sometimes used to indicate higher attainment and university-entry performance.