Finham Park School

About Finham Park School

Finham Park School is a large secondary in Coventry, with 1,705 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,750, so it is running very close to full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 12.5 per cent, which is below the national average for secondary schools and suggests a relatively less deprived intake than many of its Coventry peers. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 602 applications for 270 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.23 to one. Of those applicants, 278 put Finham Park as their first preference, and 238 of those received offers. That level of competition means families living further from the school gates will need to check the published admission criteria carefully. The school is non-denominational, with no religious character, and is mixed gender for pupils aged 11 to 18. David Bedford is the headteacher.

Academically, Finham Park performs above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.2 is rated as 'Above average' nationally and sits well above the Coventry LA average of 0.07. The Attainment 8 score is 51.9, and 79.3 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is high at 75.1 per cent, with 40.5 per cent achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in January 2025, the school was rated Good overall, with an Outstanding rating for its sixth-form provision. The sixth form itself is sizeable, with 201 students in the data, and achieves a points per entry of 34.34, equivalent to a C+ grade. The value-added score is -0.07, which is in the 'Average' band, meaning students make broadly expected progress from their starting points. In the Coventry LA rankings, Finham Park sits 10th out of 21 schools by Progress 8.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, science labs and a sixth-form centre. There are numerous clubs and activities on offer, from Model UN and Young Enterprise to coding, choir and martial arts. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 320 parents show that 78 per cent would recommend the school, and 81 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. However, only 62 per cent agreed that SEND children get the support they need, and 30 per cent disagreed that behaviour is well managed. This is a popular, high-demand school with strong academic outcomes and a broad offer, but one where some parents have flagged concerns around behaviour and SEND support.

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