School Chooser

Lift Montgomery

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy466 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubBirmingham
School Chooser Score
96
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 93 to 98
Out of 100. Better than 98% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, November 2024
Reached the expected level at 1183%England 63%
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families61%Far more than most schools
Places164 spare466 pupils, 630 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

Lift Montgomery is a sponsored academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 466 pupils and room for 630. About 61 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 96 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

White Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, B11 1EH0121 464 9115montgomeryprimaryacademy.orgPrincipal Fozia Nisar headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 19 November 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.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
11 October 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1183%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level28%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 56%56%20172018: 83%83%20182019: 84%84%20192023: 88%88%20232024: 91%91%20242025: 83%83%2025
Since 2017: +27%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested587465868388
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths83%91%88%84%83%56%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths28%15%9%20%13%7%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0108.0107.0105.0107.0101.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0107.0106.0107.0107.0105.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0110.0108.0111.0110.0108.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%91%92%84%89%58%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%91%89%90%90%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%95%91%90%90%84%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.4+1.0+2.9-0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.0+3.3+3.4+3.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged84%91%91%85%82%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%90%81%82%84%61%

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
84%80%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
75%92%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
84%83%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
18%28%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 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.

Plenty of spare places438 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
70% full

192 places were empty (31% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% 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 roll466Census January 2026
Places63074% full
Pupils from low-income families59%61% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English95%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%80 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.715 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils7%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)61%£407,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls245 / 221
White British pupils1%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (55), Autistic spectrum disorder (13), Moderate learning difficulty (9), emotional and mental health (5), Hearing impairment (3), Physical disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll466450466464513542
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals59%58%44%41%40%37%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language95%95%96%97%93%88%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%15%16%15%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%1%1%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%6.3%6.4%6.0%4.6%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%4.5%4.5%4.1%3.4%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.9%1.9%1.9%1.1%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.8%18.5%14.8%18.0%10.5%9.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers21.6full-time equivalent, 23 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants13.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,490
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.72024/25

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£6,629England £7,128. Total £2.9m
Income per pupil£7,577England £7,587. Total £3.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,790England £3,405
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £355k, £802 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£419kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,629spent 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 m59912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate130 per 1,000 people43% higher than the England average
Typical house price£235,000Birmingham

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
Conway Primary SchoolAcademy450 m391No overall grade 202422Compare
The Olive School, Small HeathAcademy590 m420Outstanding 2024100Compare
Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and NurseryChurch of England590 m188Report card 202622Compare
Ladypool Primary SchoolCouncil640 m230Good 202352Compare
Arden Primary SchoolCouncil950 m692Good 202481Compare
Nelson Mandela SchoolCouncil1000 m435Good 202430Compare
Regents Park Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles398Report card 202649Compare
Somerville Primary (NC) SchoolCouncil0.7 miles722Report card 202664Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Lift Montgomery 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.

Beats98%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 96 is 58 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 38 · highest 99100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 96 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 96% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 93 to 98. 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
+0.19
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 58 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 1.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.20
DfE progress measure; 58 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.04
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.07
2024/25; 394 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.24
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 Lift Montgomery a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Lift Montgomery scores 96 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 93 to 98, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Lift Montgomery's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Lift Montgomery not judged at its last full inspection on 19 November 2024.

How good are Lift Montgomery's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 83% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 28% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Lift Montgomery have?

466 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 630 places, so it is 74% full.

Is Lift Montgomery oversubscribed?

Probably not. 192 places were empty in 2024/25 (31% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Lift Montgomery?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Lift Montgomery?

The average class had 28.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 7% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Lift Montgomery have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
White Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, B11 1EH
Telephone
0121 464 9115
Website
www.montgomeryprimaryacademy.org
Headteacher
Principal Fozia Nisar
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Lift Schools (62 schools)
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East
Constituency
Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2012 (new provision)
URN
138864 · LAESTAB 3302070 · UKPRN 10039065
Formerly
Montgomery Primary School

Where these figures come from