School Chooser

The Phoenix Collegiate

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedFoundation1,770 pupilsSixth formWest BromwichSandwell
School Chooser Score
34
Below
similar schools
Likely range 27 to 44, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 69% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2023
Strong pass in English and maths25%England 46%
Attendance90.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families46%Far more than most schools
Places238 spare1,770 pupils, 2,008 places
Pupils per teacher14.3School workforce census

The Phoenix Collegiate is a foundation school in West Bromwich for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,770 pupils and room for 2,008. About 46 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 34 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Clarkes Lane, West Bromwich, B71 2BX0121 588 8384aspirebelievesucceed.comMr Michael Smith headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 14 February 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
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score39.8
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths25%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths47%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.17In each subject, pupils here finished a little 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
2018 to 2025
2018: 38.738.720182019: 41.941.920192022: 43.643.620222023: 42.242.220232024: 44.044.020242025: 39.839.82025
Since 2018: +1.1Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018SandwellEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11331341333318242190
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 839.844.042.243.641.938.742.746.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.17-0.16+0.08+0.08-0.26
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths25%37%35%37%28%22%35%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths47%59%53%56%53%45%57%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.473.743.513.633.373.133.684.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry41%14%12%17%5%6%30%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged33.236.036.836.037.931.2
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged44.648.845.948.244.746.8
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers29.626.633.624.224.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers63.762.766.657.651.8

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

Computer Science71%grades 9 to 5, England 56% · 468th of 1,861 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physics (45% here, 82% across England), Mathematics (27% here, 53% across England), Geography (29% here, 51% across England), Spanish (34% here, 54% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, computer science.

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

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics318 entries · 17th of 19 in Sandwell
27%England 53%
English Language318 entries · 12th of 19 in Sandwell
45%England 54%
English Literature312 entries · 11th of 19 in Sandwell
51%England 58%
Combined Science281 entries · 9th of 19 in Sandwell
28%England 36%
History176 entries · 11th of 19 in Sandwell
41%England 52%
Geography124 entries · 12th of 19 in Sandwell
29%England 51%
Spanish123 entries · 6th of 9 in Sandwell
34%England 54%
Art and Design101 entries · 13th of 18 in Sandwell
49%England 58%
Social Studies52 entries · 6th of 9 in Sandwell
35%England 54%
Physics38 entries · 17th of 17 in Sandwell
45%England 82%
Other Modern Languages33 entries · 2nd of 5 in Sandwell
82%England 49%
Religious Studies31 entries · 15th of 16 in Sandwell
42%England 60%
Computer Science28 entries · 2nd of 15 in Sandwell
71%England 56%
Chemistry28 entries · 9th of 17 in Sandwell
82%England 81%
Biology28 entries · 12th of 17 in Sandwell
75%England 82%
Drama12 entries
42%England 60%
Statistics12 entries
100%England 51%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics3189%27%51%53%3,045 of 3,211
English Language31814%45%64%54%2,201 of 3,210
English Literature31214%51%69%58%1,938 of 3,202
Combined Science2819%28%44%36%2,011 of 3,084
History17617%41%55%52%2,192 of 3,126
Geography12411%29%43%51%2,659 of 3,116
Spanish12311%34%48%54%1,621 of 1,941
Art and Design10110%49%69%58%1,907 of 2,818
Social Studies5214%35%48%54%879 of 1,043
Physics3813%45%58%82%2,428 of 2,546
Other Modern Languages3370%82%82%49%87 of 454
Religious Studies3113%42%61%60%1,537 of 1,825
Computer Science2832%71%79%56%468 of 1,861
Chemistry2846%82%96%81%1,481 of 2,537
Biology2839%75%86%82%1,829 of 2,570
Drama128%42%58%60%
Statistics1267%100%100%51%

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.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

118 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC29.1 points per entry
A level progress-0.45Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better8%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished100%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students118151146154225213
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry29.1330.0732.4134.3026.9928.38
Average A level gradeCCC+C+C-C
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS30.9431.5431.9034.2126.1728.89
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects8%15%11%16%2%7%
A level progressA level value added-0.45-0.32-0.24-0.18
Applied general courses: points per entry30.8431.1232.7535.16
T levels: points per entry35.71
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed100%94%89%94%94%79%

A level subjects

12 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.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology36Mathematics32Biology21Chemistry19History16English Language and Literature15Physics15Photography10Computer Science8Mathematics (Further)6Geography5Punjabi5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology36 entries · 0% A* or A · 92% passed
11%England 46%
Mathematics32 entries · 9% A* or A · 100% passed
25%England 60%
Biology21 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
48%England 49%
Chemistry19 entries · 16% A* or A · 95% passed
32%England 53%
History16 entries · 13% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 55%
English Language and Literature15 entries · 7% A* or A · 100% passed
27%England 47%
Physics15 entries · 0% A* or A · 87% passed
0%England 51%
Photography10 entries · 10% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 58%
Computer Science8 entries · 13% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 46%
Mathematics (Further)6 entries · 17% A* or A · 67% passed
17%England 76%
Geography5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 51%
Punjabi5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 59%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
33.244.6
Gap 11.4England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
17%30%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
35.743.5
Gap 7.8England 3.0
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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

A few spare places1,910 pupils for 2,100 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 190 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

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.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary350151413all offeredLA
2025 Secondary350184386all offeredLA
2024 Secondary350214494all offeredLA

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 roll1,770Census January 2026
Places2,00888% full
Pupils from low-income families44%46% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English28%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%235 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%41 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.994 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils1%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)47%£810,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls900 / 870
White British pupils34%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (68), Moderate learning difficulty (67), language and communications needs (56), Other difficulty or disability (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (15), Physical disability (14).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,7701,9201,9371,9171,9291,933
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals44%41%39%36%33%31%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language28%28%31%32%34%35%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%14%15%15%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance90.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school25.8%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils15.32024/25, 5 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission5.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence9.3%9.4%9.2%8.1%5.5%3.9%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.9%3.3%2.8%3.4%2.8%1.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence5.4%6.2%6.5%4.7%2.7%2.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence25.8%27.3%28.5%23.4%14.8%6.8%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate15.320.38.95.73.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions54011

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 333 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training87%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 83%, compared with 90% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training87%88%89%94%
Education84%81%85%90%
Apprenticeship2%4%2%1%
Work2%3%3%3%
Not in education, work or training8%10%10%4%

After sixth form

Where the 121 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training81%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 84%, compared with 80% for everyone else.

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training68%England 72%
Top-third universities29%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship7%England 6%
Higher technical course0%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 56% went on to degree-level study or training and 16% to a top-third university.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training81%82%82%
Education59%54%67%
Apprenticeship7%5%3%3%
Work16%24%13%
Not in education, work or training14%14%13%

Staff

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

Teachers124.0full-time equivalent, 131 people
Pupils per teacher14.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers92%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants40.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,440
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.52024/25

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m43212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate95 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£215,000Sandwell

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
Wodensborough Ormiston AcademyAcademy0.7 miles1,119Report card 202519Compare
Shireland CBSO AcademyFree school1.1 miles457Not inspectedCompare
George Salter AcademyAcademy1.1 miles1,377Good 202330Compare
Shireland Biomedical UtcUniversity technical college1.2 miles520Requires improvement 202316Compare
Wood Green AcademyAcademy1.8 miles1,518Good 202052Compare
Stuart Bathurst Catholic High SchoolAcademy1.8 miles807Good 202421Compare
Joseph Leckie AcademyAcademy1.9 miles1,524Report card 202638Compare
West Bromwich Collegiate AcademyFree school2.0 miles774Good 202438Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Phoenix Collegiate with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats69%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 34 is 12 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 23 · highest 83100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Phoenix Collegiate, 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
Hodge Hill CollegeCouncil7.8 miles1,193Report card 202540Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 34 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 34% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 27 to 44. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%below
-0.15
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 331 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 331 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.05
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 1,730 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 331 pupils
What pupils do next5%below
-0.05
333 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 The Phoenix Collegiate a good school?

The figures are weak. The Phoenix Collegiate scores 34 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 27 to 44, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is The Phoenix Collegiate's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Phoenix Collegiate good at its last full inspection on 14 February 2023.

How good are The Phoenix Collegiate's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 25% 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 39.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does The Phoenix Collegiate have?

1,770 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 2,008 places, so it is 88% full.

Is The Phoenix Collegiate oversubscribed?

Probably not. 190 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Phoenix Collegiate?

Pupils were in school 90.7% 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 The Phoenix Collegiate?

The average class had 17.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 1% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Phoenix Collegiate have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 12 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
Clarkes Lane, West Bromwich, B71 2BX
Telephone
0121 588 8384
Website
www.aspirebelievesucceed.com
Headteacher
Mr Michael Smith
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Sandwell
Ward
Hateley Heath
Constituency
Tipton and Wednesbury
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2010 (result of amalgamation)
URN
136091 · LAESTAB 3334028 · UKPRN 10030873
Formerly
Menzies High School Science College, Manor Foundation Business, Enterprise & Sports College

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from