School Chooser

Starbank School

All-through · ages 3-16MixedAcademy2,161 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubBirmingham
School Chooser Score · secondary phase
74
Above
similar schools
Likely range 66 to 80
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Primary phase: 80, above similar schools
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Strong pass in English and maths62%England 46%
Attendance91.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families48%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull2,161 pupils, 2,160 places
Pupils per teacher20.9School workforce census

Starbank School is a sponsored academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 3 to 16. It has 2,161 pupils, 1 more than it has places for. About 48 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 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Hob Moor Road, Birmingham, B10 9BT0121 464 2638Mr Gaetano Ferrante headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 6 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
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

178 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score49.0
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths62%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths73%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.45In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2019 to 2025
2019: 38.938.920192022: 42.942.920222023: 44.044.020232024: 45.145.120242025: 49.049.02025
Since 2019: +10.1Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†BirminghamEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11178173167175119
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 849.045.144.042.938.947.346.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.45-0.08-0.13-0.53
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths62%49%46%49%27%46%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths73%65%63%66%52%65%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.614.184.024.073.654.224.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry90%92%78%91%90%48%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged49.642.641.343.134.8
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged47.948.447.742.643.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers24.726.630.715.9
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers67.661.764.853.5

† These results are for Starbank School, the school this one replaced in October 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 13 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

Statistics97%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 59th of 375 schools
English Literature76%grades 9 to 5, England 58% · 409th of 3,202 schools
Mathematics65%grades 9 to 5, England 53% · 650th of 3,211 schools
English Language64%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 763rd of 3,210 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (13% here, 58% across England), French (52% here, 60% across England).

What is taught here

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
English Language178 entries · 22nd of 86 in Birmingham
64%England 54%
English Literature177 entries · 16th of 85 in Birmingham
76%England 58%
Mathematics176 entries · 17th of 86 in Birmingham
65%England 53%
Combined Science176 entries · 16th of 79 in Birmingham
46%England 36%
Religious Studies175 entries · 37th of 74 in Birmingham
61%England 60%
French162 entries · 34th of 62 in Birmingham
52%England 60%
History95 entries · 45th of 83 in Birmingham
47%England 52%
Geography80 entries · 32nd of 82 in Birmingham
46%England 51%
Business57 entries · 25th of 45 in Birmingham
40%England 51%
Social Studies40 entries · 10th of 23 in Birmingham
53%England 54%
Statistics32 entries · 1st of 11 in Birmingham
97%England 51%
Art and Design23 entries · 69th of 71 in Birmingham
13%England 58%
60%England 49%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language17828%64%76%54%763 of 3,210
English Literature17742%76%83%58%409 of 3,202
Mathematics17624%65%76%53%650 of 3,211
Combined Science17615%46%61%36%773 of 3,084
Religious Studies17529%61%70%60%968 of 1,825
French16210%52%61%60%1,327 of 1,974
History9522%47%59%52%1,772 of 3,126
Geography8016%46%59%51%1,653 of 3,116
Business575%40%56%51%1,166 of 1,806
Social Studies4023%53%70%54%548 of 1,043
Statistics3244%97%100%51%59 of 375
Art and Design230%13%22%58%2,764 of 2,818
Other Modern Languages1060%60%60%49%

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.

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1178%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level15%
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: 59%59%20172018: 60%60%20182019: 60%60%20192023: 78%78%20232024: 72%72%20242025: 78%78%2025
Since 2017: +19%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested180178175182195197
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%72%78%60%60%59%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths15%14%14%8%5%5%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0105.0106.0103.0104.0103.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0107.0107.0104.0104.0103.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0106.0107.0107.0107.0106.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%76%82%68%71%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%83%88%73%71%76%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)84%83%87%71%70%72%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.7+1.1+1.4+0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+4.9+1.4+1.5+1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged76%75%80%56%53%59%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%69%77%66%70%60%

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 Starbank School, the school this one replaced in October 2020. 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. 6 of the 7 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

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
49.647.9
Gap 1.7England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
64%59%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
43.454.2
Gap 10.8England 3.0

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
76%80%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
78%77%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
76%78%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
14%15%
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 full2,105 pupils for 2,160 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 roll2,161Census January 2026
Places2,160100% full
Pupils from low-income families47%48% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English63%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%360 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%28 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.784 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils19%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)48%£1,253,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls1,137 / 1,024
White British pupils1%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.3 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.0 (England 28.2).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (238), Moderate learning difficulty (64), emotional and mental health (58), Specific learning difficulty (12), Physical disability (11), Hearing impairment (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll2,1612,1992,2232,1862,1862,195
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals47%39%30%31%32%30%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language63%66%67%71%72%75%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%16%16%18%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance91.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school26.3%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.82024/25, 3 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission4.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.3%7.5%8.5%6.9%4.1%6.6%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.9%4.2%5.1%4.1%2.7%4.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence4.4%3.3%3.4%2.9%1.4%2.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence26.3%24.4%26.7%21.7%10.9%19.7%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.81.43.33.84.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions32544

† These attendance figures are for Starbank School, the school this one replaced in October 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 167 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training88%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 87%, compared with 90% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers
Still in education, work or training88%92%
Education88%91%
Apprenticeship0%1%
Work0%1%
Not in education, work or training8%5%

Staff and money

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

Teachers102.4full-time equivalent, 113 people
Pupils per teacher20.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants57.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,486
Teachers who left in the year25%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.92024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£6,728England £7,965. Total £15m
Income per pupil£7,348England £8,423. Total £16m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,162England £4,444
Money in reserve25%A lot put by: £4.0m, £1,828 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£1.3mit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,728spent 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 m52412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate134 per 1,000 people47% 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, BirminghamFree school390 m618Outstanding 202497Compare
Waverley SchoolAcademy610 m1,687Good 202131Compare
Waverley Studio CollegeStudio schools620 m223Good 20222Compare
Hamd House SchoolIndependent720 m433Not inspectedCompare
St Bernadette's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic730 m559Good 202350Compare
Bordesley Green Primary SchoolCouncil790 m639Good 20238Compare
St Benedict's Primary SchoolCouncil790 m306Good 20235Compare
Marlborough Primary SchoolAcademy890 m598Good 202316Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Starbank 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.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 74 is 29 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 45 · highest 93100

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 secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 66 to 80. 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 years20%in line
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 178 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.15
DfE progress measure; 178 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.12
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 2,034 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 178 pupils
What pupils do next5%below
-0.03
167 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 Starbank School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Starbank School scores 74 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 66 to 80, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Starbank School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Starbank School good at its last full inspection on 6 June 2023.

How good are Starbank School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 62% 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 49.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How good are Starbank School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 78% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 15% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Starbank School have?

2,161 pupils aged 3 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 2,160 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Starbank 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 Starbank School?

Pupils were in school 91.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Starbank School?

The average class had 25.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 19% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Starbank 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.

Does Starbank School have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 88% 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
Hob Moor Road, Birmingham, B10 9BT
Telephone
0121 464 2638
Headteacher
Mr Gaetano Ferrante
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
All-through school, ages 3-16, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Star Academies (36 schools)
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Small Heath
Constituency
Birmingham Yardley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2020 (new provision)
URN
147757 · LAESTAB 3304038 · UKPRN 10085570
Formerly
Starbank School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from