Holyhead School

A good academy converter school in Birmingham. Explore Ofsted ratings, admissions information, and performance data for Holyhead School.

Birmingham, B210HN Ofsted: Good Age 11-18 Mixed intake
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Performance Score

Overall school rating

46

/ 100

Secondary with Sixth Form weighted harmonic mean of 5 indicators

Indicators used for Secondary with Sixth Form schools

Progress 8 score
53.4
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: -0.04
English & Maths grade 4+ %
55.0
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 61.2%
Continue in education or training
70.8
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 76.0%
Sustained employment
22.4
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 7.0%
Ofsted inspection outcome
75.0
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: Good

How we weight each phase

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Primary schools

  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 40.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Secondary schools

  • Progress 8 score 40.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

All-through schools

  • Progress 8 score 25.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 15.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Secondary with Sixth Form schools

  • Progress 8 score 20.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • Continue in education or training 20.0%
  • Sustained employment 20.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Sixth Form Only schools

  • Continue in education or training 40.0%
  • Sustained employment 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Special schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Alternative Provision schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Independent schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Ofsted Inspection

Official inspection outcomes

Good
Overall effectiveness
Good
Last inspected
4 February 2020
Previous grade
Outstanding
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

Source: Ofsted inspection outcomes. Grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate.

Contact Information

How to reach this school

Source: GIAS
Address
Milestone Lane
Handsworth
Birmingham, B210HN
Phone
1215231960
Website
holyheadschool.org.uk/

Location

Find the school on the map

Source: Geocoding
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School Information

Basic details and characteristics

Source: GIAS
URN
137034
Type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary with Sixth Form
Address
Milestone Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 0HN
Website
https://www.holyheadschool.org.uk/
Age range
11-18
Gender
Mixed
School status
Open
Trust/MAT
CENTRAL REGION SCHOOLS TRUST
Capacity
1250 pupils
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Sixth Form
Yes
Nursery
No

School Performance Data

Official government statistics

Source: DfE

School Demographics

Total Pupils
1,254
Free School Meals
57.2% (717 pupils)
Special Educational Needs
0.6% (8 pupils)

Daily Attendance

Attendance Rate
92.5%
Good
Persistent Absence
22.0%
Missing 10%+ of school days

Detailed Performance Metrics

Attainment 8 Scores
Attainment 8:
41.4
Ebacc Attainment 8:
11.6
English Attainment 8:
9.8
Maths Attainment 8:
7.9
Open Subjects Attainment 8:
12.2
EBacc Subject Performance
Ebacc Attainment 8:
11.6
Ebacc English:
99.5%
Ebacc Entry:
19.9%
Ebacc Humanities:
78.2%
Ebacc Languages:
43.7%
Ebacc Maths:
99.5%
Ebacc Sciences:
99.0%
Progress Measures
Progress 8:
-0.04
Progress 8 Range:
-0.23 to 0.16
University Progression:
68.0%

Real Success Rates

What happens to students after they leave this school

Continue Education
76.0%
University, college, or sixth form
Enter Employment
7.0%
Full or part-time jobs
Start Apprenticeships
4.0%
Learning while earning
Not in Education or Work
11.0%
NEET - needs support

Sixth Form University Progression

Where sixth form students go after graduation

University Progression
68%
Quality: Very Good
Sixth Form Size
113 students
Per cohort
Apprenticeships
4.0%

Key Performance Indicators

Education Continuation:
76.0 (+19.9 vs average)

Calculated Fields

Derived insights and analysis

Source: Calculated

Class Size Information

Average Class Size
78 pupils
Large Classes
Pupils per Year Group
157
Average across all year groups
Total School Size
1,254 pupils
11-18

Subjects This School Excels At

Subjects where students perform significantly above national average

Psychology (GCE A level)
★★★★★
(8 students)
Computer Appreciation / Introduction (OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3)
★★★★★
(13 students)
Business Studies (BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*)
★★★★ ★
(14 students)
Mathematical Studies (Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3)
★★★★ ★
(7 students)
Law / Legal Studies (BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*)
★★★★ ★
(32 students)

Strong performance in 5 subjects

From the School Website

Information extracted from the school's own website

Source: School Website

Ethos & Values

"We Teach What Matters"

Creativity Character Community Care Excellence Respect Responsibility

Head Teacher's Message

Dave Knox, Principal, describes Holyhead as forward-looking and energetic, with a strong commitment to social justice and to teaching what matters. He highlights high expectations, the importance of building positive relationships, staff and student accountability, and pride in destinations above the national average, as well as a university, apprenticeship or employment pathways focus.

Curriculum Highlights

Holyhead’s curriculum is knowledge rich, distinctive and rooted in Handsworth’s diverse community. It is broad, balanced and inclusive with ambitious outcomes that develop knowledge, attributes, skills and experiences (KASE). It emphasises reading and literacy, aims to reduce curriculum bias to help disadvantaged students thrive, and supports real-life experiences beyond qualifications. Intention: provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes personal development, equality of value and opportunities; foster self-confidence and respect for diverse perspectives; deliver high-quality education with progression routes through CEIAG; teach British Values and democracy; invest in relationships and community engagement. Implementation: delivered through the Holyhead 8 Framework (evidence-informed practices rooted in cognitive science) to ensure all students learn deeply and remember more; core character attributes targeted are Confidence, Organisation, Resilience, and Empathy; timetable includes a 4-period day with 75-minute lessons and 25-minute tutor time; focus on reading, literacy and oracy; KS3/KS4/Post-16 structures.

Admissions Criteria

Holyhead admits students in Year 7 and Sixth Form. The Published Admission Number (PAN) for 2026 for Year 7 is 210. The school’s main principle of admission is to provide for the educational needs of young people who live in Handsworth and surrounding areas. Admissions are via the Local Authority’s Birmingham City Council School Admissions portal. The school is inclusive and welcomes all applications; for places in other year groups, contact the school directly. All Year 6 entries should be submitted to the Local Authority by the outlined date, after which applications should be made to the school. Late applications have specific procedures. The academy is consulting on admission arrangements (2027‑2028), with a full version of proposed changes available on the academy website. Aged 2025/2026 timetable details include late application procedures and allocation considerations. Offers are contingent on accurate information, and the school reserves the right to withdraw offers in cases of fraudulent or misleading details.

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