Alston Primary School

About Alston Primary School

Alston Primary School sits in a challenging position within Birmingham's primary landscape. Its Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show that 50% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is notably below the local authority average of 63%. This places the school in the bottom half of Birmingham primaries, ranked 214th out of 254. The school's Progress 8 scores are not available in the data, but the raw attainment figures give a clearer picture: average scores of 102 in maths and 101 in reading are both close to the national benchmark of 100, yet the proportion of pupils hitting the higher standard is low, with just 7% achieving that across all three subjects. Given that over half of pupils (52.7%) are eligible for free school meals, these results should be read in context of the school's intake, but the gap to the LA average is real and worth noting for parents comparing options.

Despite the attainment picture, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025 judged it Good overall, with leadership and management also rated Good. This is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2017, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The early years provision was singled out as Outstanding, which is a strong signal for families with younger children. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 95% of the 240 respondents would recommend the school, and 99% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy here. Strong majorities also felt the school has high expectations (95%), that their child does well (98%), and that SEND children receive the support they need (94%). The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 143 applications for 59 places and 57 first-preference offers, so demand is clearly strong among local families.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, music rooms, and a sports hall, plus clubs like coding, science club and eco club. Its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, among others. With nursery provision on site, it can take children from age 3. Alston is a large primary with 634 pupils against a capacity of 669, so there is some room but not much. For families in Birmingham who prioritise a school with strong pastoral care, good early years provision, and a clear improvement trajectory, Alston is worth a look, though those focused purely on academic outcomes at the higher end may want to consider alternatives like Shaw Hill Primary School, the nearest Outstanding-rated school 1.2 km away.

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