School Chooser

Shirley Heath Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedCouncil420 pupilsSolihull
School Chooser Score
82
Above
similar schools
Likely range 70 to 89
Out of 100. Better than 77% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, September 2024
Reached the expected level at 1164%England 63%
Attendance95.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull420 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.7School workforce census

Shirley Heath Junior School is a council school in Solihull for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 420 pupils and every place is taken. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 82 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 77% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Coombe Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 3DS0121 744 1339shirley-heath.solihull.sch.ukMrs Kara Evans headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 September 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
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1164%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level12%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 72%72%20182019: 68%68%20192023: 65%65%20232024: 62%62%20242025: 64%64%2025
Since 2017: -5%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SolihullEngland
Pupils tested9011991909088
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths64%62%65%68%72%69%69%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths12%11%15%12%11%13%13%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0107.0106.0105.0106.0107.0106.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0105.0106.0104.0105.0106.0106.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0107.0105.0106.0108.0109.0106.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%87%76%76%83%85%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%76%80%81%79%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)72%73%75%84%86%85%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.4-1.1-1.5-1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.1-2.1-2.4-2.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged52%61%31%30%67%53%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged68%62%71%73%73%73%

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
52%68%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
60%69%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
94%64%
Gap 30 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
14%12%
Gap 2 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.

Full420 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
100% full

The school is full. 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 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 Solihull 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 roll420Census January 2026
Places420100% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%73 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%18 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.014 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)17%£110,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls191 / 229
White British pupils48%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (38), language and communications needs (33), Specific learning difficulty (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Hearing impairment (3), Physical disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll420418419420420418
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%18%17%15%15%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%23%21%21%18%18%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%15%13%11%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.8%5.0%4.9%5.5%2.5%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%3.7%3.7%4.6%1.9%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.3%1.2%0.9%0.6%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.9%10.5%10.7%14.3%3.8%4.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.93.30.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers20.3full-time equivalent, 23 people
Pupils per teacher20.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,604
Teachers who left in the year16%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.82024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,313England £7,738. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£6,198England £7,697. Total £2.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,126England £3,480
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £437k, £1,044 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£48kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,313spent 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 m73312 months to June 2026, mostly shoplifting
Local crime rate124 per 1,000 people36% higher than the England average
Typical house price£328,000Solihull

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
Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy620 m444Good 202479Compare
Woodlands Infant SchoolCouncil780 m204Good 202267Compare
Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St JamesAcademy820 m241Outstanding 202486Compare
Blossomfield Infant and Nursery SchoolCouncil850 m247Good 202251Compare
Cranmore Infant SchoolCouncil990 m182Good 202250Compare
Burman Infant SchoolCouncil0.8 miles169No overall grade 202518Compare
Widney Junior SchoolCouncil0.8 miles328Good 202489Compare
Streetsbrook Infant and Early Years AcademyAcademy0.9 miles213Good 202354Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Shirley Heath Junior School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats77%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 82 is 22 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 60 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 82 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 82% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 70 to 89. 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
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 90 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.01
DfE progress measure; 90 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.06
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 425 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 90 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 Shirley Heath Junior School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Shirley Heath Junior School scores 82 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 77% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 70 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Shirley Heath Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Shirley Heath Junior School not judged at its last full inspection on 24 September 2024.

How good are Shirley Heath Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 64% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 12% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Shirley Heath Junior School have?

420 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Shirley Heath Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Shirley Heath Junior School?

Pupils were in school 95.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Shirley Heath Junior School?

The average class had 30.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Coombe Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 3DS
Telephone
0121 744 1339
Website
www.shirley-heath.solihull.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Kara Evans
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Solihull
Ward
Shirley South
Constituency
Solihull West and Shirley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
104050 · LAESTAB 3342019 · UKPRN 10071487

Where these figures come from