Classpot

Baxter College

Wyre Forest, DY11 5PQSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
4 Good · 1 Requires improvement
Apr 2025
Progress 8
-0.87
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
0.7×
Not oversubscribed
106 1st-choice / 143 places
Ranking
#2,963
of 3,141 nationally

About Baxter College

Baxter College’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025 judged the school as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2020. However, the picture is more nuanced than the headline suggests: inspectors rated behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision all as Good. The sticking point was quality of education, which was graded Requires improvement. The most telling academic metric is Progress 8, which measures how much pupils improve between Key Stage 2 and GCSEs compared with the national average. Baxter’s Progress 8 score of -0. 87 is well below average, meaning pupils leave with nearly a grade less per subject than similar students nationally. That places the school 28th out of 47 secondaries in Worcestershire, and bottom of the six schools in the Wyre Forest local authority area. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0. 21, so Baxter’s result is significantly weaker than the typical school in the region.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressHabberley Road, Kidderminster, Wyre Forest, DY11 5PQ
HeadteacherKatie Beech
Local AuthorityWorcestershire
Number of Pupils779
Free School Meals (FSM)37.4%
School Capacity779 / 1,068 (73% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

What 85 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

8 Apr 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 20 May 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Baxter College

Baxter College has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.