Baxter College

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.

At Key Stage 4, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 31.9, and just 35% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths — the basics measure. Only 7.1% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects, and 2.1% achieved it at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 2.69. In the sixth form, the picture is brighter: the 16 pupils in the 2023/24 cohort achieved a value-added score of -0.34, which is banded as Average, and an average points per entry of 22, equivalent to a D+. The sixth form was rated Good by Ofsted, and the school has a dedicated Sixth Form Centre. Parent opinion is mixed: 62% of the 85 respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, but only 52% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there, and 38% strongly disagreed that SEND children get the support they need.

Baxter College is a mixed secondary for ages 11 to 18 in Wyre Forest, Worcestershire, with 779 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,068. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 193 applications for 143 places and 106 first-preference offers. The school has a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, and art studios, plus clubs from coding to Model UN. It offers provisions for eight SEND categories including autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 37.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. This is a school that has clear strengths in behaviour and sixth form but is grappling with academic outcomes at GCSE that are well below local and national averages. It may suit families who prioritise a broad range of activities and a supportive pastoral environment over top exam results.

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