School Chooser

Ward End Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil878 pupilsNurseryBirmingham
School Chooser Score
50
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 34 to 66
Out of 100. Better than 70% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2024
Reached the expected level at 1169%England 63%
Attendance92.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families56%Far more than most schools
Places14 spare878 pupils, 892 places
Pupils per teacher20.1School workforce census

Ward End Primary School is a council school in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 878 pupils and room for 892. About 56 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 50 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 70% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Ingleton Road, Birmingham, B8 2RA0121 464 5424wardend.org.ukMrs Rachel Chahal headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 5 March 2024, 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

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1169%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 54%54%20172018: 60%60%20182019: 71%71%20192023: 61%61%20232024: 62%62%20242025: 69%69%2025
Since 2017: +15%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested11911912011814685
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths69%62%61%71%60%54%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%11%10%15%12%7%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0104.0102.0105.0102.0102.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0104.0104.0108.0104.0102.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0107.0106.0110.0107.0106.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%74%65%76%62%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%76%78%89%79%65%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)76%75%75%79%82%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.1-0.6-1.7-2.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.7+1.7+0.6-2.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged65%64%57%68%49%48%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged74%60%65%74%72%62%

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. 3 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
65%74%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
59%80%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
69%69%
No gapEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
6%9%
Gap 3 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.

Full853 pupils for 840 places, 2024/25
102% full

The school is full, with 13 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 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 roll878Census January 2026
Places89298% full
Pupils from low-income families52%56% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English47%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%154 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%28 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.229 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)50%£637,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls475 / 403
White British pupils1%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 18 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.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.9 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (46), emotional and mental health (42), Moderate learning difficulty (41), Autistic spectrum disorder (36), Other difficulty or disability (6), Hearing impairment (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll878897908906897935
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals52%45%39%38%38%34%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language47%45%39%58%60%59%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%16%18%21%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school25.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.22024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.8%8.5%8.1%10.6%8.9%5.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.7%5.8%5.8%6.6%4.3%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%2.7%2.3%4.1%4.6%2.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence25.0%30.6%29.6%40.4%27.8%15.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.20.40.00.10.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers41.5full-time equivalent, 47 people
Pupils per teacher20.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants28.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,535
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.02024/25

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£7,301England £7,738. Total £6.4m
Income per pupil£7,457England £7,697. Total £6.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,898England £3,480
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £1.1m, £1,246 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£137kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,301spent 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 m68512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate106 per 1,000 people17% 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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Sladefield Infant SchoolCouncil640 m266Good 202337Compare
Thornton Primary SchoolCouncil840 m473Good 202344Compare
Leigh Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles385Report card 202640Compare
Hodge Hill Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles651Good 202324Compare
Washwood Heath AcademyAcademy0.7 miles1,668Good 202055Compare
Nansen Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles528Report card 202654Compare
Highfield Junior and Infant SchoolAcademy0.8 miles642Good 202428Compare
Tame Valley AcademyAcademy0.9 miles228Good 202428Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Ward End Primary 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.

Beats70%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 50 is 14 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 37 · highest 98100

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 Ward End Primary School, 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
Prince Albert Junior and Infant SchoolAcademy2.7 miles740No overall grade 202595Compare
Canterbury Cross Primary SchoolAcademy3.0 miles481Not inspected61Compare
Arden Primary SchoolCouncil3.2 miles692Good 202481Compare
Billesley Primary SchoolAcademy5.3 miles699Not inspected75Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 50 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 50% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 34 to 66. 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
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 119 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 119 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.13
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.18
2024/25; 755 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 119 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 Ward End Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Ward End Primary School scores 50 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 70% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 34 to 66, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Ward End Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Ward End Primary School good at its last full inspection on 5 March 2024.

How good are Ward End Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 69% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Ward End Primary School have?

878 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 892 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Ward End Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 13 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Ward End Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 25% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Ward End Primary School?

The average class had 27.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Ward End Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Ingleton Road, Birmingham, B8 2RA
Telephone
0121 464 5424
Website
www.wardend.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Rachel Chahal
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Ward End
Constituency
Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
103217 · LAESTAB 3302108 · UKPRN 10076569

Where these figures come from