Photo: Robin Stott · CC BY-SA 2.0Solihull’s state schools get better results than 82% of towns in England
Across their best eight GCSEs, pupils in Solihull score 51.7 on Attainment 8, above both West Midlands’ towns (44) and towns in England (45.9). 42 state-funded schools are located in Solihull’s built-up area. Solihull grades A− for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #5 of 35 in West Midlands. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Solihull’s schools
Strong at both ages
Solihull’s secondary results beat 81% of English towns; its primary results beat 73%. 66% of the city’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 67% across Solihull. The spread between primaries is wide: 84% at Oak Cottage Primary School, 49% at Kineton Green Primary School. Every school’s result ↓
Popular schools are full
13 of 36 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as their official capacity, including Alderbrook, St Peter's and Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull among the secondaries. A full school gives places by its admissions rules, usually by distance after siblings. Getting a place ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
Solihull grades A− for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
The primary figure: 21 primaries in the town, 3,719 pupils in results over three years. The secondary figure: 7 secondaries in the town, 1,566 pupils in results. Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Where Solihull’s 42 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Solihull’s built-up area.
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 7 secondaries are named.
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 5% at Oak Cottage Primary School to 38% at Kineton Green Primary School. Against schools with the same intake, Oak Cottage Primary School does best: 84% with 5% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 67%. 11 of 21 primaries and 5 of 7 secondaries are above the line.
Show as a table
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
How school places work in Solihull
Solihull Council handles applications for every state school in Solihull, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 9 of Solihull’s 36 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 13 schools are at or over it.
Show all 36 schools
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
42 state schools in Solihull
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 6 of Solihull’s 42 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance | Early years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St JamesJuly 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard |
| Coppice AcademyJune 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | — |
| Tudor Grange Primary Academy LangleyJune 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Expected standard | Strong standard |
| Cranmore Infant SchoolJune 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard |
| Sharmans Cross Junior SchoolMay 2026 | Met | Needs attention | Needs attention | Needs attention | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | — |
| St Margaret's Church of England Primary SchoolFebruary 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard |
13 academy trusts and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady and All Saints Catholic Multi Academy CompanySt Peter's, Our Lady of the Wayside, Our Lady of Compassion, St Augustine's, St Andrew's | 5 | 2,535 | A−A−C+AB− |
| Tudor Grange Academies TrustTudor Grange Academy, Solihull, Tudor Grange Academy Langley, Tudor Grange Academy Yew Tree, Tudor Grange Academy, St James | 4 | 2,711 | AB−BB− |
| Collaborative Education TrustLangley, Haslucks Green, Oak Cottage | 3 | 1,543 | B−B−A+ |
| Summit Learning TrustLyndon, Kineton Green, Solihull Sixth Form College | 3 | 1,380 | B+C− |
| Arden Multi Academy TrustLode Heath, Coppice | 2 | 1,262 | C+C− |
| Elliot Foundation Academies TrustValley, Peterbrook | 2 | 930 | B− |
| Solihull Alternative Provision Multi Academy TrustSolihull Alternative Provision, Daylesford | 2 | 102 | — |
| Alderbrook SchoolAlderbrook | 1 | 1,701 | A− |
| Light Hall SchoolLight Hall | 1 | 1,037 | B+ |
| Robin Hood Multi Academy TrustUlverley | 1 | 450 | C |
| Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy TrustSt Margaret's | 1 | 233 | B |
| Streetsbrook Academy TrustStreetsbrook Infant and Early Years | 1 | 213 | — |
| Central Schools TrustDamson Wood Nursery and Infant | 1 | 122 | — |
| Solihull CouncilGreswold, Olton, Shirley Heath Junior, Sharmans Cross Junior, Widney Junior, St Alphege, Blossomfield Infant, Mill Lodge, Woodlands Infant, Cranmore Infant, Hazel Oak, Burman Infant, St Alphege, Reynalds Cross, Triple Crown Centre | 15 | 4,253 | B+B−B−A−AA−C+ |
Where Solihull’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
4 of Solihull’s 7 state secondaries have sixth forms: Alderbrook, Light Hall, St Peter's and Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull. Solihull Sixth Form College is a state 16–19 school in the city. Solihull College & University Centre, a further-education college, is in the city.
| College | Distance |
|---|---|
| Solihull College & University CentreFurther-education college · B91 1SB | in Solihull |
| Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form CollegeFurther-education college · B12 9FF | 4.4 mi |
| South and City College BirminghamFurther-education college · B5 5SU | 5.1 mi |
| Birmingham Metropolitan CollegeFurther-education college · B4 7PS | 5.6 mi |
Special schools and alternative provision in Solihull
Solihull has 2 special schools (Hazel Oak and Reynalds Cross: 332 pupils) and 3 alternative provision schools, for pupils who can’t attend mainstream school for a time. A special-school place isn’t applied for like a mainstream one: for a child with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Solihull Council names the school in the plan, after asking the family’s preference. These schools have no letter, because their results don’t compare with mainstream schools’. Their cards ↑
Solihull Council’s SEND Local Offer lists support beyond these schools.
7th of 71 English towns and cities of 75,000 to 145,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns and cities either side of Solihull, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A+ | 75% | 55.8 | 62% |
| … | |||||
| 3 | Kensington and Chelsea London | A+ | 75% | 53.8 | 61% |
| 4 | Guildford Surrey | A | 67% | 56.5 | 67% |
| 5 | Chelmsford Essex | A | 67% | 57.1 | 61% |
| 6 | Watford Hertfordshire | A | 66% | 54.9 | 61% |
| 7 | Solihull West Midlands | A− | 66% | 51.7 | 55% |
| 8 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 66% | 50.8 | 54% |
| 9 | Woking Surrey | A− | 64% | 53.2 | 61% |
| 10 | Poole Dorset | A− | 63% | 52.2 | 59% |
| 11 | York North Yorkshire | A− | 63% | 51.8 | 56% |
| … | |||||
| 71 | Redditch Worcestershire | D | 53% | 38.8 | 24% |
Solihull and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solihull 42 schools | A− | 66% | 51.7 |
| Cheswick Green 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.9 mi | A | 71% | 54.6 |
| Dickens Heath 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.9 mi | B | 68% | 43.4 |
| Knowle and Dorridge 5 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.5 mi | A+ | 74% | 54.7 |
| Tidbury Green 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.6 mi | B+ | 66% | 47.9 |
| Hollywood 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.8 mi | B− | 65% | 43.4 |
| Wythall 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.2 mi | B+ | 66% | 47.9 |
| Hampton in Arden 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.4 mi | A | 70% | — |
Knowle and Dorridge has the best-graded schools nearby (A+). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Solihull: 11% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Solihull
Are schools in Solihull good?
Solihull’s state schools earn an A− against schools across England: primary results beat 73% of towns in England; secondary results beat 81% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Solihull council.
What is the best secondary school in Solihull?
On 2025/26 GCSE results, Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull: Attainment 8 of 59.1 and 74% with grade 5+ in English and maths, against 47.3 at the average school in England. Results are one measure; distance decides most places.
What is the best primary school in Solihull?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Oak Cottage Primary School: 84% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Solihull secondary schools have sixth forms?
4 of 7 do.
How do I apply for a school place in Solihull?
Through Solihull Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Solihull are full?
13 of 36 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Solihull?
42 open state-funded schools are located in Solihull’s built-up area: 29 primary, 7 secondary and 6 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.