Sandwell schools in numbers
How Sandwell's 133 schools compare with West Midlands and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools133open, all types
Pupils62,730on roll
Primary schools93
Secondary schools22
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Sandwell | West Midlands | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 123 schools | 37.1% | 30.4% | 26.3% | 126thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 124 schools | 38.2% | 31.4% | 27.1% | 123rdof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 123 schools | 33.4% | 20.4% | 18.6% | 39thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 123 schools | 15.6% | 14.9% | 14.5% | 37thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 123 schools | 9.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% | 127thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Sandwell | West Midlands | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 114 schools | 26.2 | 25.2 | 25.0 | 126thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 114 schools | 7.8% | 10.5% | 10.6% | 48thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 123 schools | 20.2 | 19.3 | 19.0 | 131stof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 121 schools | 13.0% | 14.2% | 15.0% | 30thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 123 schools | £51,152 | £50,519 | £51,377 | 70thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 117 schools | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 81stof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Sandwell | West Midlands | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 119 schools | 93.6% | 93.7% | 93.8% | 87thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 119 schools | 17.8% | 16.4% | 15.8% | 100thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 118 schools | 4.2 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 23rdof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Sandwell | West Midlands | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 103 schools | £8,067 | £8,998 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 103 schools | £3,531 | £4,051 | £4,229 | 149thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 104 schools | 10.9% | 9.9% | 8.3% | 28thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 104 schools | 3.8% | 12.9% | 14.1% | 6thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Sandwell | West Midlands | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 19 schools | 34.9% | 42.5% | 46.1% | 147thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 19 schools | 42.7 | 45.5 | 47.0 | 137thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 84 schools | 62.5% | 63.3% | 63.1% | 89thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 84 schools | 7.3% | 7.7% | 8.3% | 95thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Sandwell | West Midlands | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 112 schools | 19% | 15% | 13% | 15thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 67 schools | 97% | 93% | 94% | 48thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 111 schools | 27% | 34% | 35% | 111thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 113 schools | 93.6% | 89.1% | 86.2% | 8thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 126 schools | 44% | 59% | 52% | 96thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 126 schools | 15.9% | 14.0% | 12.0% | 52ndof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
SandwellEngland
Since 2016: -2.0%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
SandwellEngland
Since 2019: +15.3%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
SandwellEngland
Since 2017: +5.6%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
SandwellEngland
Since 2016: +8.8%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
SandwellEngland
Since 2007: +1.8