George Dixon Academy
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George Dixon Academy is a converter academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 998 pupils and room for 1,129. About 67 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.
Portland Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 9GD0121 566 6565georgedixonacademy.comCo Headteacher Claire Bernard & David Horner headmasterAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 December 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
177 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 177 | 180 | 179 | 174 | 150 | 136 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 33.3 | 37.0 | 37.3 | 42.9 | 43.8 | 41.3 | 47.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.23 | -0.11 | +0.38 | +0.51 | +0.22 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 15% | 26% | 31% | 40% | 28% | 24% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 36% | 44% | 46% | 59% | 54% | 49% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.90 | 3.12 | 3.37 | 3.87 | 4.14 | 3.70 | 4.22 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 33% | 18% | 38% | 36% | 60% | 63% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 31.1 | 34.7 | 34.1 | 43.3 | 42.2 | 41.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 38.7 | 40.3 | 42.0 | 41.4 | 46.1 | 41.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.6 | 26.0 | 33.8 | 32.4 | 28.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 62.7 | 56.3 | 68.3 | 57.2 | 55.9 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 18 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Design & Technology (0% here, 50% across England), Business (2% here, 51% across England), Computer Science (13% here, 56% across England), Art and Design (19% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 177 | 2% | 19% | 41% | 53% | 3,183 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 177 | 3% | 29% | 49% | 54% | 3,057 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 173 | 4% | 29% | 49% | 58% | 3,096 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 112 | 1% | 7% | 20% | 36% | 3,035 of 3,084 |
| History | 96 | 1% | 21% | 35% | 52% | 3,036 of 3,126 |
| Religious Studies | 74 | 5% | 38% | 60% | 60% | 1,617 of 1,825 |
| Social Studies | 66 | 5% | 27% | 38% | 54% | 946 of 1,043 |
| Biology | 64 | 13% | 52% | 80% | 82% | 2,368 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 62 | 13% | 45% | 73% | 81% | 2,388 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 61 | 7% | 46% | 67% | 82% | 2,416 of 2,546 |
| Geography | 58 | 5% | 19% | 31% | 51% | 2,996 of 3,116 |
| Business | 41 | 0% | 2% | 12% | 51% | 1,800 of 1,806 |
| Spanish | 39 | 18% | 41% | 56% | 54% | 1,434 of 1,941 |
| French | 32 | 19% | 44% | 56% | 60% | 1,545 of 1,974 |
| Art and Design | 32 | 3% | 19% | 34% | 58% | 2,709 of 2,818 |
| Computer Science | 32 | 6% | 13% | 16% | 56% | 1,825 of 1,861 |
| Design & Technology | 23 | 0% | 0% | 9% | 50% | 1,471 of 1,478 |
| Physical Education | 18 | 0% | 39% | 50% | 56% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
40 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 40 | 63 | 49 | 42 | 74 | 81 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 26.11 | 25.94 | 29.62 | 30.92 | 32.09 | 26.36 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C- | C | C | C+ | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 26.44 | 25.70 | 30.86 | 31.87 | 31.85 | 28.33 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 3% | 5% | 16% | 8% | 8% | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.15 | -0.34 | – | – | +0.54 | +0.24 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 32.50 | 32.29 | 37.79 | 37.44 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 100% | 95% | 100% | 96% | 97% | 85% |
A level subjects
10 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 107 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (87 offers for 190 places). 67 families put it down as their first choice and 67 of them got in (100%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 190 | 67 | 358 | 87 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 30 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (47), emotional and mental health (21), language and communications needs (19), Specific learning difficulty (17), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), Physical disability (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 998 | 1,031 | 1,017 | 1,026 | 992 | 968 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 67% | 62% | 56% | 54% | 49% | 48% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 60% | 61% | 61% | 64% | 66% | 67% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 14% | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.5% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 8.5% | 8.3% | 6.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.0% | 6.7% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 3.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.6% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 35.0% | 39.8% | 38.3% | 28.8% | 24.9% | 15.8% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 18.7 | 16.2 | 17.6 | 5.1 | 3.3 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 179 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 93% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 92% | 94% | 90% | 92% |
| Education | 90% | 93% | 87% | 90% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Work | 1% | 0% | 2% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 7% | 5% | 5% | 7% |
After sixth form
Where the 49 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 83% went on to degree-level study or training and 17% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 94% | 86% | 91% | – |
| Education | 90% | 67% | 77% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 5% | 2% | 0% |
| Work | 2% | 14% | 11% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 2% | 5% | 9% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lordswood Boys' School | Academy | 750 m | 659 | Report card 2026 | 55 | Compare |
| King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls | Academy | 920 m | 989 | Good 2024 | 86 | Compare |
| Shireland Collegiate Academy | Academy | 0.6 miles | 1,585 | No overall grade 2024 | 72 | Compare |
| St Paul's School for Girls | Roman Catholic | 0.7 miles | 1,033 | Outstanding 2023 | 97 | Compare |
| Harborne Academy | Academy | 1.3 miles | 627 | Good 2022 | 71 | Compare |
| Windsor Olympus Academy | Free school | 1.6 miles | 533 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Bristnall Hall Academy | Academy | 1.7 miles | 1,088 | Outstanding 2023 | 83 | Compare |
| Jewellery Quarter Academy | Free school | 1.8 miles | 556 | Report card 2026 | 14 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares George Dixon Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than George Dixon Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holyhead School | Academy | 2.0 miles | 1,257 | Good 2020 | 54 | Compare |
| St John Wall Catholic School | Roman Catholic | 2.8 miles | 591 | Good 2023 | 70 | Compare |
| Broadway Academy | Academy | 3.6 miles | 1,222 | Good 2022 | 44 | Compare |
| Small Heath Leadership Academy | Academy | 4.2 miles | 1,131 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
| Ark Boulton Academy | Academy | 4.3 miles | 877 | Report card 2026 | 47 | Compare |
| Ark Victoria Academy | Free school | 4.8 miles | 1,519 | Not inspected | 63 | Compare |
| Saltley Academy | Academy | 5.3 miles | 1,356 | Good 2023 | 33 | Compare |
| Waverley School | Academy | 5.4 miles | 1,687 | Good 2021 | 31 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 17. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.24 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 177 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.21 | Ofsted grade, 1.7 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.08 | DfE progress measure; 177 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.17 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.08 | 2024/25; 1,006 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.05 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 177 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.01 | 179 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | above | +0.03 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 30 responses |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is George Dixon Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. George Dixon Academy scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 17, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is George Dixon Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated George Dixon Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 17 December 2024.
How good are George Dixon Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 15% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 33.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does George Dixon Academy have?
998 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,129 places, so it is 88% full.
Is George Dixon Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 107 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at George Dixon Academy?
Pupils were in school 89.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 35% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about George Dixon Academy?
90% of the 30 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 77% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at George Dixon Academy?
The average class had 19.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 2% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does George Dixon Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 10 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Portland Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 9GD
- Telephone
- 0121 566 6565
- Website
- www.georgedixonacademy.com
- Headmaster
- Co Headteacher Claire Bernard & David Horner
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Single-academy trust
- George Dixon Academy (1 schools)
- Local authority
- Birmingham
- Ward
- North Edgbaston
- Constituency
- Birmingham Edgbaston
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2012 (academy converter)
- URN
- 138695 · LAESTAB 3305412 · UKPRN 10038605
- Formerly
- George Dixon International School and Sixth Form Centre
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Birmingham council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.