School Chooser

Hill West Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy389 pupilsSutton ColdfieldBirmingham
School Chooser Score
81
Above
similar schools
Likely range 68 to 90
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, May 2026
Reached the expected level at 1178%England 63%
Attendance96.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places31 spare389 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.1School workforce census

Hill West Primary School is a converter academy in Sutton Coldfield for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 389 pupils and room for 420. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 81 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Clarence Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4LD0121 308 5392hillwest.bham.sch.ukDr Beth Clarke headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 6 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
Strong
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
9 March 2022S5 InspectionGood

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

60 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1178%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level22%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 88%88%20172018: 82%82%20182019: 85%85%20192023: 69%69%20232024: 84%84%20242025: 78%78%2025
Since 2017: -10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested606362596060
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%84%69%85%82%88%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths22%21%19%32%25%13%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0108.0106.0107.0107.0107.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0107.0106.0108.0108.0107.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0106.0107.0110.0110.0111.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%89%81%85%85%92%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%90%82%93%83%88%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)92%90%85%93%92%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.1+0.9+1.2+2.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.3+1.6+2.6+2.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%38%41%67%63%67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%91%80%87%90%92%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

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. 2 of the 4 gaps are 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
67%80%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
83%74%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
93%78%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
22%22%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places397 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
95% full

About 23 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Birmingham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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.

Pupils on roll389Census January 2026
Places42093% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%46 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.814 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils43%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£103,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls194 / 195
White British pupils55%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (17), Autistic spectrum disorder (14), language and communications needs (10), Moderate learning difficulty (7), Other difficulty or disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll389400403411427423
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%17%15%16%14%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%18%15%12%10%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%9%12%12%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.82024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.4%4.2%4.7%4.6%3.2%2.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.5%3.6%3.6%2.4%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.8%1.1%1.0%0.8%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.9%9.8%10.2%14.3%8.1%3.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.80.51.20.20.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers19.4full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher20.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,160
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.92024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£4,833England £7,128. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£6,118England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,585England £3,405
Money in reserve-12%In the red: -£296k, -£741 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£514kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£4,833spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m12212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate37 per 1,000 people59% lower than the England average
Typical house price£235,000Birmingham
Nearest bus stop0.7 milesVillage Hall, 0 stops within 500 m

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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Four Oaks Primary SchoolFoundation610 m420No overall grade 2025100Compare
Mere Green Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles422No overall grade 202579Compare
Little Aston Primary AcademyAcademy1.1 miles203Report card 202689Compare
Coppice Primary SchoolFoundation1.3 miles415Not inspected97Compare
Little Sutton Primary SchoolFoundation1.3 miles420Outstanding 202499Compare
Moor Hall Primary SchoolFoundation1.4 miles427No overall grade 202499Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles357Good 202364Compare
Manor Primary SchoolFoundation1.9 miles411Good 202371Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Hill West Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 81 is 18 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 64 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Hill West Primary School, 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.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Dickens Heath Community Primary SchoolCouncil14.3 miles453Report card 202690Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 81 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 81% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 68 to 90. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.10
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.02
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.08
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 365 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 pupils
What parents say0%no data

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 Hill West Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Hill West Primary School scores 81 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 68 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Hill West Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Hill West Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 78% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 22% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Hill West Primary School have?

389 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Hill West Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 23 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Hill West Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Hill West Primary School?

The average class had 27.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 43% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Clarence Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4LD
Telephone
0121 308 5392
Website
www.hillwest.bham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Dr Beth Clarke
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (24 schools)
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Sutton Mere Green
Constituency
Sutton Coldfield
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2013 (academy converter)
URN
139520 · LAESTAB 3303429 · UKPRN 10040997
Formerly
Hill West Primary School

Where these figures come from