Fortis Academy
61%
Capacity
1,294
Pupils
4.0x
Demand
About Fortis Academy
Fortis Academy is a large mixed secondary school in Birmingham, ranked 68th out of 83 schools in the local authority for Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the city’s state secondaries. The local authority includes 14 schools rated Outstanding, and the top-performing peers locally are Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham (Progress 8 of 1.58), St Paul’s School for Girls (1.23), and Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham (1.18). The school’s own Progress 8 score of -0.32 sits well below the Birmingham average of 0.09. Despite this, the school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 570 applications for 143 places, with 64 first-preference offers made. Headteacher Joseph Clark leads a school that has improved since its last full inspection.
Academically, the picture is mixed. Fortis Academy’s most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023 rated it Good across all categories, a clear step up from its previous Requires Improvement rating. At Key Stage 4, the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.32 is banded as ‘Below average’. Attainment 8 sits at 39.7, and 47.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 29% at grade 5 or above. Only 11.9% of pupils entered the EBacc, and just 4.8% achieved it at grade 5 or above. However, the sixth form tells a more positive story: with a value-added score of 0.48, it is rated ‘Well above average’, and pupils achieved an average of C+ per entry. This suggests that students who stay on post-16 make strong progress relative to their starting points.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, martial arts, and dance, while clubs range from chess and Model UN to Young Enterprise and a newspaper group. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 51.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a significantly disadvantaged intake. Oversubscription is high at nearly four applications per place, so families applying will need to prioritise it. Fortis Academy is best suited to families who value a large, inclusive comprehensive with a strong sixth form and a wide extracurricular offer, and who are comfortable with GCSE outcomes that trail the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Aldridge Road, Birmingham, Birmingham, B44 8NU |
| Headteacher | Joseph Clark |
| Local Authority | Birmingham |
| Number of Pupils | 1,294 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 51.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,294 / 2,124 (61% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
24 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 30 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.32)
2301st of 3,141
Nationally
251st of 371
In West Midlands
68th of 83
In Birmingham
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
35.5
'22/23
31.9
'23/24
33.4
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2330%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 326 pupils).
- FE college52%
- School sixth form (stay)30%
- Not sustained9%
- Sixth form college4%
- Employment2%
- Apprenticeship1%
89% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2378%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 67 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
13%
Russell Group
13%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)78%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained4%
- Apprenticeship3%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Chemistry20
- Biology19
- Mathematics17
- Psychology15
- Business Studies:Single13
- Sociology13
- History11
- Law11
- Physics10
- Geography9
- Logic / Philosophy9
- English Literature7
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed143
570
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
64 families put this school as their 1st choice (11% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:10
Breakfast club
07:30-08:45
Source: fortisacademy.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian24.3%
- White British21.9%
- Mixed11.5%
- White (other)6.7%
- Black1.8%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
15
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
10
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Fortis Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Aldridge Road, Birmingham
Birmingham, B44 8NU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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