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Smith's Wood Academy

Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Sponsored academy

Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham B36 0UE · smithswood.co.uk · 0121 788 4100

On the mapSearch near B36 0UE

Overview

Ofsted
Report card
Jan 2026 · graded by area, with no overall grade
GCSEs, 2024/25
32.2
average Attainment 8 score. Solihull 47, England 46
Last distance offered
No limit
Year 7, September 2026 entry · Solihull Council
Demand for places
0.7
first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
Pupils
697
70% of 1,000 places
Local authority
Solihull
Sixth form
No
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
65.4%
First language not English
8.8%
School census 2025/26
Trust
Fairfax Multi Academy Trust

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Year 7 in September 2026, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Solihull Council’s document.

For Year 7 in September 2026, 84 families put the school first and 117 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 108 (Places 202)108September 2023: 79 (Places 206)79September 2024: 61 (Places 186)61September 2025: 79 (Places 118)79September 2026: 84 (Places 117)84Places 117
Year 7PlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 2026117840.7100%
September 2025Sept 2025118790.7100%
September 2024Sept 2024186610.398%
September 2023Sept 2023206790.499%
September 2022Sept 20222021080.5100%

Results

In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 32.2, and 18.6% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Solihull it was 47, and across England 46.

In 2017/18 the average A level result was grade D+ (22.2 points per entry).

GCSE results

Attainment 8

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252017/18: 41.5 (England 46.5)41.52018/19: 37.6 (England 46.7)37.62021/22: 34.0 (England 48.8)34.02022/23: 23.9 (England 46.3)23.92023/24: 30.0 (England 45.9)30.02024/25: 32.2 (England 46.0)32.2England 46.0
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
▼32.246.0
▼18.6%45.4%
▼36.5%64.8%
▼25.6%40.5%
▼2.964.09

Some years are for the predecessor school (URN 104118)

Where Year 11 leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
School sixth form4.1−5.3
Sixth form college3.4−1.3
Further education64.1+6.5
Apprenticeship3.4−0.3
Employment0.7−1.4
Not in a lasting destination16.6+1.9
Activity not captured7.6+0.3

A levels and other 16 to 18 results

A level average grade

15/1616/1717/182015/16: 14.9 (England 30.5)E+2016/17: 17.1 (England 31.1)D-2017/18: 22.2 (England 32.1)D+England 32.1
2017/18TrendAverage gradeProgress
7 studentsD+ (22.2)Average -0.35
7 studentsD+ (22.2)Average -0.35
100%finished their course
Earlier years: A levelStudentsAverage gradeProgress
2016/1714D- (17.1)-0.75
2015/1641E+ (14.9)-0.63

Where sixth-form leavers went

2015/162016/172017/18
Left in 2017/18Since 2016/17
University25+14
Apprenticeship25+14
Employment44+19
Not in a lasting destination6−25

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected Smith's Wood Academy on 13 January 2026 and published a report card: each area has its own grade, and there is no overall grade.

Inspected
13 Jan 2026
Report card
Safeguarding
Met

Inspection reports

Graded areas

InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and well-beingExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard

Previously: Inadequate, graded inspection, Mar 2023

Earlier inspections

Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 104118), which Ofsted links to this one.

September 2019 to November 2025

  • Mar 2025Monitoring visitEffective action
  • Dec 2024Monitoring visitEffective action
  • May 2024Monitoring visitEffective action
  • Oct 2023Monitoring visitEffective action
  • Mar 2023Inadequate
    Quality of educationInadequate
    Behaviour and attitudesInadequate
    Personal developmentInadequate
    Leadership and managementInadequate
    SafeguardingNot effective

Before September 2019

  • May 2019Requires improvement
    Outcomes for pupilsRequires improvement
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareRequires improvement
    Leadership and managementGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Jan 2017Inadequate
    Outcomes for pupilsInadequate
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareInadequate
    Leadership and managementInadequate
    16 to 19 study programmesInadequate
    SafeguardingEffective

    Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 104118)

What parents said

64% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (39 replies, to 6 April 2026).

Recommend
64%
Positive
51%
Replies
39
5% · 6 Apr 2026
Child is happy at school▼62% agreeEngland 84%
Child feels safe▼62% agreeEngland 85%
Pupils are well behaved▼49% agreeEngland 78%
Gets the right support to learn▼51% agreeEngland 78%
School communicates well▼64% agreeEngland 77%
Acts in child’s best interests▼52% agreeEngland 76%
Concerns are dealt with properly▼54% agreeEngland 74%

based on the 90% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▼30% agreeEngland 43%

based on 17 parents (44%) whose child was bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▼47% agreeEngland 63%

based on 17 parents (44%) with SEND

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