Saltley Academy
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Saltley Academy is a sponsored academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,356 pupils, 6 more than it has places for. About 57 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 33 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, B9 5RX0121 566 6555saltley.academyMr Paul Marano head of academyAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 11 May 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
262 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 | 262 | 240 | 229 | 231 | 201 | 204 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 39.4 | 42.4 | 41.5 | 40.9 | 41.1 | 40.4 | 47.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.07 | -0.19 | -0.35 | -0.02 | -0.05 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 29% | 38% | 28% | 30% | 27% | 22% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 51% | 56% | 54% | 52% | 45% | 44% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.50 | 3.90 | 3.78 | 3.56 | 3.56 | 3.34 | 4.22 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 55% | 65% | 71% | 53% | 56% | 21% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 37.5 | 41.1 | 39.7 | 39.8 | 39.5 | 39.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 41.9 | 43.5 | 43.0 | 42.0 | 42.9 | 42.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 28.0 | 30.3 | 28.2 | 25.8 | 25.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 63.7 | 56.0 | 60.9 | 55.8 | 52.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 17 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.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Food Preparation & Nutrition (15% here, 52% across England), Art and Design (24% here, 58% across England), Spanish (25% here, 54% across England), Mathematics (33% here, 53% 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 | 265 | 12% | 33% | 58% | 53% | 2,837 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 259 | 15% | 38% | 56% | 54% | 2,658 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 257 | 11% | 41% | 60% | 58% | 2,671 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 229 | 5% | 23% | 41% | 36% | 2,425 of 3,084 |
| Art and Design | 141 | 2% | 24% | 57% | 58% | 2,641 of 2,818 |
| Religious Studies | 135 | 18% | 50% | 62% | 60% | 1,358 of 1,825 |
| History | 117 | 12% | 34% | 46% | 52% | 2,593 of 3,126 |
| Social Studies | 111 | 18% | 51% | 62% | 54% | 603 of 1,043 |
| Geography | 87 | 14% | 36% | 46% | 51% | 2,358 of 3,116 |
| Other Modern Languages | 83 | 18% | 60% | 82% | 49% | 254 of 454 |
| Spanish | 79 | 8% | 25% | 41% | 54% | 1,772 of 1,941 |
| Physics | 35 | 46% | 97% | 100% | 82% | 590 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 35 | 60% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 311 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 35 | 51% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 280 of 2,570 |
| Physical Education | 25 | 12% | 40% | 44% | 56% | 1,174 of 1,559 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 20 | 0% | 15% | 30% | 52% | 1,053 of 1,098 |
| Drama | 14 | 0% | 0% | 29% | 60% | – |
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.
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 3 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 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.
The school is full, with 19 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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 (257 offers for 270 places). 175 families put it down as their first choice and 175 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 | 270 | 175 | 1,208 | 257 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
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.
Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 49 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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (102), Autistic spectrum disorder (86), language and communications needs (74), emotional and mental health (29), Physical disability (7), Specific learning difficulty (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,356 | 1,380 | 1,344 | 1,305 | 1,252 | 1,193 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 57% | 54% | 45% | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 73% | 74% | 69% | 67% | 61% | 58% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 15% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.3% 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 | 10.7% | 10.0% | 11.7% | 12.5% | 11.7% | 6.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.6% | 6.2% | 6.8% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 3.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.9% | 7.1% | 8.5% | 3.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 35.1% | 34.3% | 41.5% | 44.6% | 38.1% | 16.8% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 29.1 | 13.2 | 6.5 | 9.7 | 8.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 229 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 83%, compared with 87% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 85% | 87% | 82% | 87% |
| Education | 83% | 83% | 81% | 87% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 1% | 1% | 1% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 8% | 13% | 8% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Birmingham East | Free school | 750 m | 609 | Outstanding 2023 | 97 | Compare |
| Waverley Studio College | Studio schools | 760 m | 223 | Good 2022 | 2 | Compare |
| Waverley School | Academy | 950 m | 1,687 | Good 2021 | 31 | Compare |
| Washwood Heath Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,668 | Good 2020 | 55 | Compare |
| Rockwood Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,073 | Not inspected | 16 | Compare |
| Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Birmingham | Free school | 0.8 miles | 618 | Outstanding 2024 | 97 | Compare |
| Starbank School | Academy | 0.9 miles | 2,161 | Good 2023 | 74 | Compare |
| Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form | Council | 1.0 miles | 938 | Good 2022 | 81 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Saltley 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 Saltley 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washwood Heath Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,668 | Good 2020 | 55 | Compare |
| Small Heath Leadership Academy | Academy | 1.4 miles | 1,131 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
| Ark Victoria Academy | Free school | 1.6 miles | 1,519 | Not inspected | 63 | Compare |
| Ark Boulton Academy | Academy | 2.2 miles | 877 | Report card 2026 | 47 | Compare |
| Holte School | Council | 3.2 miles | 1,127 | Good 2023 | 38 | Compare |
| Broadway Academy | Academy | 3.4 miles | 1,222 | Good 2022 | 44 | Compare |
| Holyhead School | Academy | 5.1 miles | 1,257 | Good 2020 | 54 | Compare |
| Joseph Leckie Academy | Academy | 8.4 miles | 1,524 | Report card 2026 | 38 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 33 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 33% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 24 to 43. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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% | below | -0.14 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 262 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.02 | DfE progress measure; 262 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.13 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.09 | 2024/25; 1,491 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.12 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 262 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.06 | 229 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Saltley Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Saltley Academy scores 33 out of 100. That is 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 24 to 43, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Saltley Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Saltley Academy good at its last full inspection on 11 May 2023.
How good are Saltley Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 29% 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 39.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Saltley Academy have?
1,356 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,350 places, so it is 100% full.
Is Saltley Academy oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 19 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Saltley Academy?
Pupils were in school 89.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 35% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Saltley Academy?
The average class had 20.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does Saltley Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has sen unit for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Saltley Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 85% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, B9 5RX
- Telephone
- 0121 566 6555
- Website
- www.saltley.academy
- Head of Academy
- Mr Paul Marano
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust (8 schools)
- Local authority
- Birmingham
- Ward
- Heartlands
- Constituency
- Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 March 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 141668 · LAESTAB 3304018 · UKPRN 10048240
- Formerly
- Saltley School and Specialist Science College
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.
- 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.