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Schools in the West Midlands

A region of England

  • Region
  • 4,400 schools and nurseries
  • 951,376 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

West Midlands at a glance

Close to England on most measures

How West Midlands's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries4,4001,778 primary · 407 secondary · 1,724 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better95%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1162%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths43%Attainment 8 45.1, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary31%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school19%England 18%
Councils

The 14 councils in the West Midlands

Councils run admissions, so this is the best way to narrow things down. Apply through the council where you live.

HerefordshireTelford and WrekinStoke-on-TrentShropshireBirminghamCoventryDudleySandwellSolihullWalsallWolverhamptonStaffordshireWarwickshireWorcestershire
CouncilFirst choice, primaryFirst choice, secondarySecondary, another council
Birmingham92.1%75.7%9.5%
Coventry94.9%82.1%2.6%
Dudley92.0%87.1%13.2%
Herefordshire96.3%91.9%6.6%
Sandwell94.1%80.8%14.0%
Shropshire97.4%91.0%4.8%
Solihull91.7%79.7%9.2%
Staffordshire95.1%91.9%6.9%
Stoke-on-Trent94.4%88.5%12.9%
Telford and Wrekin91.3%76.1%4.1%
Walsall93.8%77.4%13.5%
Warwickshire88.1%82.3%4.4%
Wolverhampton93.2%74.8%8.7%
Worcestershire94.0%88.1%7.5%

93.1%got their first-choice primary school in the West Midlands in 2026. England: 92.4%. 98.6% got one of their top three.3.9% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.

82.4%got their first-choice secondary school in the West Midlands in 2026. England: 83.6%. 94.7% got one of their top three.8.5% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.

Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.

Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in the West Midlands

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All West Midlands primary schools

Top Primary Schools in the West Midlands

1,778 mainstream schools in the West Midlands, best first

See all 2,116 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in the West Midlands

407 mainstream schools in the West Midlands, best first

Stratford Girls' Grammar School

Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9HA · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

289 first choices, 120 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1681.9

England 46.2

Days missed
4.4%
Pupils
853
Pupils per teacher
19.3
View school Stratford Girls' Grammar School

Newport Girls' High School Academy

Newport, TF10 7HL · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

227 first choices, 119 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1674.4

England 46.2

Days missed
4.2%
Pupils
884
Pupils per teacher
19.6
View school Newport Girls' High School Academy

Wolverhampton Girls' High School

Wolverhampton, WV6 0BY · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

334 first choices, 193 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1675.1

England 46.2

Days missed
4.6%
Pupils
1,211
Pupils per teacher
18.0
View school Wolverhampton Girls' High School
See all 799 secondary schools

Nurseries in the West Midlands

1,724 in the West Midlands, highest Ofsted grade first

See all 1,724 nurseries

Sixth Forms in the West Midlands

408 in the West Midlands, by the school's Eduscope score

Stratford Girls' Grammar School

Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9HA · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

289 first choices, 120 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1681.9

England 46.2

Days missed
4.4%
Pupils
853
Pupils per teacher
19.3
View school Stratford Girls' Grammar School

Newport Girls' High School Academy

Newport, TF10 7HL · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

227 first choices, 119 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1674.4

England 46.2

Days missed
4.2%
Pupils
884
Pupils per teacher
19.6
View school Newport Girls' High School Academy

Wolverhampton Girls' High School

Wolverhampton, WV6 0BY · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

334 first choices, 193 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1675.1

England 46.2

Days missed
4.6%
Pupils
1,211
Pupils per teacher
18.0
View school Wolverhampton Girls' High School
See all 408 sixth forms

Special Schools in the West Midlands

286 in the West Midlands. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Aurora Hanley School

Stoke on Trent, ST2 8PQ · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 19

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
84
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Aurora Hanley School

Avon Park School

Rugby, CV22 5HR · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 16

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
105
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Avon Park School

Barrs Court School

Hereford, HR1 1EQ · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
8.9%
Pupils
105
Pupils per teacher
7.3
View school Barrs Court School
See all 286 special schools

Private Schools in the West Midlands

281 in the West Midlands. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Al-Burhan Grammar School

Birmingham, B11 3DW · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16 · Girls

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Independent school. Results well above the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1669.3

England 46.2

Days missed
–
Pupils
114
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Al-Burhan Grammar School

Arise Education

Priors Marston, CV47 7RY · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 18

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
32
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Arise Education

Aurora Hanley School

Stoke on Trent, ST2 8PQ · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 19

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
84
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Aurora Hanley School
See all 281 private schools
By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every West Midlands school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how West Midlands's schools break down by type, faith and more.

West Midlands vs England

How good are West Midlands's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Numbers that sum up West Midlands

West MidlandsEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 1,242 primaries with one.

    95%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    257 of the 281 with a grade.

    92%

    England 93%

    Close to England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    62%

    England 62%

    Close to England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    43%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    19%

    England 18%

    Close to England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    31%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 1,809 schools that have one.

94%

Good or Outstanding

Each square is 1% of schools.

  • Outstanding186
  • Good1509
  • Requires improvement95
  • Inadequate19

How it has changed

West Midlands in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%60%70%20182019202320242025
62% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap30%45%60%2018201920222023202420252026
43% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
19% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).

The figures in full

The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.

MeasureWest MidlandsEngland
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)94%95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)62%62%
Attainment 845.146.2
Persistent absence19%18%
Pupils per teacher17.9:117.9:1
Spending per pupil£7,941£8,120
In education or work after 1690%91%
Went on to higher education57%56%
Pupils with special educational needs21%21%
Pupils with English as an additional language23%22%
Pupils on free school meals32%27%
Living here

What it's like for families

West Midlands has 4,400 schools and nurseries.

There are 6% more pupils than in 2018.

31% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in the West Midlands's state schools each January.

Up 6% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

West Midlands31%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in the West Midlands

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Find a school to follow
Questions

Questions parents ask about West Midlands

Areas in the West Midlands

How many schools are in the West Midlands?

West Midlands has 4,400 schools, including 2116 primary schools, 799 secondary schools, 1724 nurseries, 281 independent schools, 286 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in the West Midlands?

The highest-ranked schools in the West Midlands on Eduscope are St Filumena's Catholic Primary School, St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Streetly, St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in the West Midlands are rated Good or Outstanding?

94% of inspected schools in the West Midlands hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 186 schools rated Outstanding and 1509 rated Good.

How do primary schools in the West Midlands perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in the West Midlands, 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in the West Midlands?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in the West Midlands is 17.9:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in the West Midlands schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in the West Midlands is 18.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in the West Midlands?

There are 951,376 pupils enrolled across schools in the West Midlands, with 511,777 in primary and 433,224 in secondary. 31.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in the West Midlands?

There are 281 independent schools in the West Midlands. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in the West Midlands on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.

How do I choose the right school in the West Midlands?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 4,400 schools in the West Midlands by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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