School Chooser

Marlborough Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy598 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubBirmingham
School Chooser Score
16
Below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 26
Out of 100. Better than 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2023
Reached the expected level at 1135%England 63%
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families55%Far more than most schools
Places58 spare598 pupils, 656 places
Pupils per teacher24.7School workforce census

Marlborough Primary School is a converter academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 598 pupils and room for 656. About 55 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 16 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Marlborough Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 9NY0121 464 7933mps.bham.sch.ukMrs Geni Begum headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 16 May 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1135%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score100.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2023 to 2025
2023: 44%44%20232024: 40%40%20242025: 35%35%2025
Since 2023: -9%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested858288
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths35%40%44%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%1%1%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score100.0100.0101.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.099.0100.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0101.0102.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard51%55%59%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard51%54%59%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)56%66%72%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged31%43%45%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged43%37%44%

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. 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
31%43%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
36%34%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
38%35%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
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 places579 pupils for 666 places, 2024/25
87% full

About 87 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.

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 roll598Census January 2026
Places65691% full
Pupils from low-income families52%55% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English53%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%101 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.123 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)57%£486,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls303 / 295
White British pupils1%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 3 pupils, for autism.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Birmingham with autism provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (50), language and communications needs (44), Autistic spectrum disorder (10), emotional and mental health (5), Hearing impairment (2), Vision impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll598624642638643640
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals52%51%42%39%33%28%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language53%60%65%73%79%86%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%14%19%22%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school18.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.4%6.9%6.6%7.1%7.1%6.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%5.1%4.8%4.9%5.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%1.9%1.8%2.2%1.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence18.7%19.7%21.3%21.4%17.9%15.9%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.

Teachers23.4full-time equivalent, 27 people
Pupils per teacher24.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,455
Teachers who left in the year19%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher10.42024/25

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£6,820England £7,128. Total £4.1m
Income per pupil£7,263England £7,587. Total £4.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,918England £3,405
Money in reserve19%A healthy amount put by: £813k, £1,353 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£266kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,820spent 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 m90812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate136 per 1,000 people50% 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
Somerville Primary (NC) SchoolCouncil540 m722Report card 202664Compare
Wyndcliffe Primary SchoolAcademy720 m566Outstanding 202454Compare
St Benedict's Primary SchoolCouncil840 m306Good 20235Compare
Bordesley Green Primary SchoolCouncil850 m639Good 20238Compare
Starbank SchoolAcademy890 m2,161Good 202374Compare
Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic960 m211No overall grade 202569Compare
The Olive School, Small HeathAcademy0.8 miles420Outstanding 2024100Compare
The Rosary Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles342Good 202433Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Marlborough Primary School 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.

Beats22%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 16 is 28 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 44 · highest 99100

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 Marlborough 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
Arden Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles692Good 202481Compare
Stechford Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles417Good 202424Compare
Yarnfield Primary SchoolAcademy2.0 miles639Report card 202627Compare
Prince Albert Junior and Infant SchoolAcademy2.8 miles740No overall grade 202595Compare
SS Mary & John Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy3.0 miles424Good 202345Compare
Heathfield Primary SchoolAcademy3.4 miles483Good 202485Compare
Canterbury Cross Primary SchoolAcademy3.4 miles481Not inspected61Compare
Robin Hood AcademyAcademy3.4 miles508Good 202224Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 16 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 16% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 26. 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%well below
-0.35
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 85 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 85 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.08
2024/25; 518 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.19
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 85 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 Marlborough Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Marlborough Primary School scores 16 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 26, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Marlborough Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Marlborough Primary School good at its last full inspection on 16 May 2023.

How good are Marlborough Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 35% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Marlborough Primary School have?

598 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 656 places, so it is 91% full.

Is Marlborough Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 87 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Marlborough Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Marlborough Primary School?

The average class had 25.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Marlborough Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Marlborough Primary School 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
Marlborough Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 9NY
Telephone
0121 464 7933
Website
www.mps.bham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Geni Begum
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
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Leigh Trust (7 schools)
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Small Heath
Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2019 (academy converter)
URN
146701 · LAESTAB 3302132 · UKPRN 10082581
Formerly
Marlborough Junior School, Marlborough Infant School

Where these figures come from