Shireland Biomedical Utc
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Shireland Biomedical Utc is an university technical college in West Bromwich for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 520 pupils and room for 600. About 52 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 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2023.
350 High Street, West Bromwich, B70 8DJ0121 828 1123sbmutc.org.ukMr Gulfam Shahzad headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 November 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Requires improvement overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
0 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 | Sandwell | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 58 | 112 | 147 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | – | – | 40.3 | 36.8 | 38.9 | 35.6 | 42.7 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | – | -0.32 | -0.67 | -0.28 | -0.94 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | – | – | 34% | 21% | 26% | 24% | 35% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | – | – | 50% | 36% | 54% | 46% | 57% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | – | – | 2.84 | 2.53 | 2.90 | 2.72 | 3.68 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | – | – | 5% | 0% | 2% | 5% | 30% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | – | – | 36.6 | 34.8 | 34.7 | 32.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | – | – | 44.4 | 39.0 | 42.9 | 38.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | – | 26.3 | 28.4 | 22.0 | 20.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | – | – | – | 52.8 | 47.8 | – | – |
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
55 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 55 | 42 | 30 | 48 | 87 | 167 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 26.83 | 23.67 | 23.33 | 31.52 | 22.93 | 10.04 |
| Average A level grade | C- | D+ | D+ | C | D+ | E |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 28.00 | 21.43 | – | 34.44 | 24.14 | 10.75 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 13% | 0% | – | 33% | 0% | 5% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.17 | -0.36 | – | – | -0.36 | -1.09 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 32.99 | 34.14 | 31.21 | 25.57 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 100% | – | – | 88% | 80% | 81% |
A level subjects
5 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
331 places were empty (44% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 135% since 2021/22.
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.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (26), language and communications needs (16), Moderate learning difficulty (13), Other difficulty or disability (4), Severe learning difficulty (4), Specific learning difficulty (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 520 | 419 | 316 | 215 | 178 | 165 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 50% | 44% | 37% | 38% | 35% | 32% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 54% | 53% | 49% | 33% | 25% | 24% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 12% | 12% | 16% | 12% | 15% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.5% 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 | 8.5% | 7.5% | 9.7% | 13.3% | 7.2% | 9.1% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.4% | 2.3% | 4.2% | 6.7% | 4.9% | 6.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.2% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 6.6% | 2.3% | 2.7% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 28.3% | 21.6% | 29.3% | 50.5% | 21.6% | 28.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 5.0 | 9.5 | 4.7 | 8.4 | 6.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 38 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 95%, compared with 89% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 92% | 91% | 81% | 95% |
| Education | 89% | 88% | 77% | 94% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 3% | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 7% | 10% | 5% |
After sixth form
Where the 27 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 75% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 78% | 85% | 92% | – |
| Education | 52% | 67% | 77% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 2% | 8% | 0% |
| Work | 19% | 15% | 8% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 22% | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shireland CBSO Academy | Free school | 390 m | 457 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| George Salter Academy | Academy | 1000 m | 1,377 | Good 2023 | 30 | Compare |
| West Bromwich Collegiate Academy | Free school | 0.8 miles | 774 | Good 2024 | 38 | Compare |
| The Phoenix Collegiate | Foundation | 1.2 miles | 1,770 | Good 2023 | 34 | Compare |
| Sandwell Academy | Academy | 1.6 miles | 1,463 | Good 2024 | 54 | Compare |
| Holly Lodge High School College of Science | Foundation | 1.7 miles | 1,636 | Good 2022 | 41 | Compare |
| Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,139 | Good 2023 | 24 | Compare |
| Wodensborough Ormiston Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,119 | Report card 2025 | 19 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Shireland Biomedical Utc 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 Shireland Biomedical Utc, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perryfields Academy | Academy | 3.8 miles | 682 | Good 2024 | 25 | Compare |
| Harborne Academy | Academy | 4.9 miles | 627 | Good 2022 | 71 | Compare |
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 secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 25. 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 | -0.17 | 2023 and 2022 results; 38 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.43 | Ofsted grade, 2.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.10 | DfE progress measure; 38 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.15 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.01 | 2024/25; 375 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.08 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 38 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.02 | 38 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 Shireland Biomedical Utc a good school?
The figures are weak. Shireland Biomedical Utc scores 16 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 25, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Shireland Biomedical Utc's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Shireland Biomedical Utc requires improvement at its last full inspection on 28 November 2023.
How many pupils does Shireland Biomedical Utc have?
520 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 600 places, so it is 87% full.
Is Shireland Biomedical Utc oversubscribed?
Probably not. 331 places were empty in 2024/25 (44% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Shireland Biomedical Utc?
Pupils were in school 91.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 28% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Shireland Biomedical Utc?
The average class had 24.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 10% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Shireland Biomedical Utc have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 5 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- 350 High Street, West Bromwich, B70 8DJ
- Telephone
- 0121 828 1123
- Website
- sbmutc.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Gulfam Shahzad
- Type of school
- University technical college (University technical college, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust (12 schools)
- Local authority
- Sandwell
- Ward
- West Bromwich Central
- Constituency
- West Bromwich
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 141813 · LAESTAB 3334005 · UKPRN 10053251
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.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Sandwell council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2024, 2025, 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.