Fairway Primary Academy

About Fairway Primary Academy

Fairway Primary Academy is a state primary in Birmingham that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 44 applications for just 9 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.89 — meaning nearly five families applied for every spot. Eight of those applications were first-preference choices, and eight offers went out to first-preference families. That level of demand suggests a school that local parents are actively choosing, even though the school itself doesn't publish a parent-view survey recommendation percentage. With 196 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, Fairway is running close to full, and the high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (48%) points to a diverse intake. Headteacher Hayley Byrne leads a mixed, non-religious school for children aged 4 to 11, and the school does not have a nursery or sixth form.

Academically, Fairway's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2015. The inspection found that quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision all require improvement, while personal development and behaviour and attitudes were judged Good. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 59% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — slightly below the Birmingham local authority average of 63%. Reading was a relative strength, with 85% reaching the expected standard and an average score of 105, but maths and writing both sat at 67% expected. Only 4% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects. Nationally, Fairway ranks in the bottom half of primary schools, sitting at the 58th percentile, and 161st out of 292 similar schools in Birmingham.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, playing fields, and a sensory room, plus clubs in drama, art, film and science. Sports on offer include athletics, football, netball, gymnastics, rounders and dance. Fairway also has a chapel on site, which is unusual for a school with no religious character. For children with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its high oversubscription and below-average KS2 results, Fairway seems to appeal to families who value its inclusive, community feel and broad extracurricular offer over headline exam scores. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Princethorpe Infant School, 3.9 km away, so for many local families Fairway remains the most practical choice.

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