School Chooser

Princethorpe Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademy231 pupils Free breakfast clubBirmingham
School Chooser Score
74
Above
similar schools
Likely range 57 to 86
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1183%England 63%
Attendance92.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families72%Far more than most schools
Places9 spare231 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher17.5School workforce census

Princethorpe Junior School is a sponsored academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 231 pupils and room for 240. About 72 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 74 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Princethorpe Road, Weoley Castle, Birmingham, B29 5QB0121 475 1083princethorpe.drbignitemat.orgMr Gerrard Rothwell headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 27 June 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
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

59 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 level5%
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: 43%43%20172018: 30%30%20182019: 35%35%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 83%83%2025
Since 2017: +40%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested595860606053
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths83%71%67%35%30%43%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%0%3%0%5%11%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0105.0102.0102.0102.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0105.0104.0102.0100.0103.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0103.0102.099.0104.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%83%70%53%65%51%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%84%78%63%47%62%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%74%78%53%38%55%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.8-1.1-2.1-3.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.3-1.5-3.8-2.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged83%62%57%31%26%41%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged83%83%80%44%41%50%

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.

† These results are for Princethorpe Junior School, the school this one replaced in March 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 3 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
83%83%
No gapEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
87%81%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
79%83%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%5%
Gap 1 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.

Nearly full236 pupils for 240 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. 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 roll231Census January 2026
Places24096% full
Pupils from low-income families72%72% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English36%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support27%62 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.98 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils13%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)71%£254,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls112 / 119
White British pupils49%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (27), language and communications needs (14), Autistic spectrum disorder (12), Moderate learning difficulty (11), Physical disability (2), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll231238240241234237
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals72%76%70%65%64%60%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language36%31%22%20%16%14%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%25%21%22%27%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%3%2%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils21.02024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.6%8.0%8.5%9.0%5.2%6.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.4%5.8%5.1%6.4%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%2.3%3.4%2.6%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.9%26.1%26.7%31.7%16.3%19.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate21.017.910.013.78.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions11001

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.2full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher17.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,251
Teachers who left in the year22%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.22024/25

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£7,576England £7,128. Total £1.8m
Income per pupil£8,924England £7,587. Total £2.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,366England £3,405
Money in reserve8%Not much put by: £165k, £694 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£321kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,576spent 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 m59612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate108 per 1,000 people18% 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
Princethorpe Infant SchoolAcademy0 m154No overall grade 202597Compare
Jervoise SchoolAcademy460 m198Good 202448Compare
Our Lady and St Rose of Lima Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic540 m233Not inspected31Compare
Paganel Primary SchoolAcademy870 m404Good 202028Compare
Northfield Manor Primary AcademyAcademy890 m373Report card 202689Compare
Green Meadow Primary SchoolAcademy910 m408Good 202354Compare
Woodcock Hill Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles199Good 202212Compare
Bournville SchoolAcademy1.1 miles660Requires improvement 20245Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Princethorpe Junior School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 74 is 47 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 27 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Princethorpe Junior 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
Lift Four Dwellings PrimaryAcademy1.9 miles317Good 202381Compare
St Jude's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic4.0 miles205Good 202282Compare
Oasis Academy FoundryAcademy4.2 miles211Outstanding 202380Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 74 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 74% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 57 to 86. 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%in line
+0.03
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 59 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 59 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.09
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.13
2024/25; 256 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.21
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 59 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 Princethorpe Junior School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Princethorpe Junior School scores 74 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 57 to 86, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Princethorpe Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Princethorpe Junior School good at its last full inspection on 27 June 2023.

How good are Princethorpe Junior School'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%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Princethorpe Junior School have?

231 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 96% full.

Is Princethorpe Junior School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Princethorpe Junior School?

Pupils were in school 92.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Princethorpe Junior School?

The average class had 28.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Princethorpe Junior 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
Princethorpe Road, Weoley Castle, Birmingham, B29 5QB
Telephone
0121 475 1083
Website
www.princethorpe.drbignitemat.org
Headteacher
Mr Gerrard Rothwell
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 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Drb Ignite Multi Academy Trust (14 schools)
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Weoley & Selly Oak
Constituency
Birmingham Northfield
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2019 (new provision)
URN
146817 · LAESTAB 3302198 · UKPRN 10082399
Formerly
Princethorpe Junior School

Where these figures come from