George Dixon Academy

About George Dixon Academy

George Dixon Academy is a mixed secondary school and sixth form in Birmingham, serving 1,031 pupils aged 11 to 18. It sits within a local authority that includes 95 secondary schools, and its Progress 8 score of -0.23 places it 62nd among them, putting it in the bottom half of Birmingham secondaries. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is 0.09, and the highest-performing nearby schools include 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 nearest of which, St Paul's, is just 1.1 km away. The school is significantly oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake it received 387 applications for 101 places, with 72 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.83. Just over 62 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024 judged its overall effectiveness as not graded, but the previous inspection in 2022 rated it as Requires Improvement across all categories. The latest inspection saw improvements in several areas: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth-form provision were all rated Good, while quality of education and leadership and management remain Requires Improvement. At Key Stage 4, the school's Attainment 8 score is 37, and 43.9 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics measure). Progress 8 is -0.23, which is in the average banding nationally, though the school ranks in the bottom 50 per cent of schools in the West Midlands on this metric. In the sixth form, the value-added score is -0.34, described as below average, with students achieving an average of 25.94 points per entry (equivalent to a C- grade). The proportion of A-level entries graded AAB or higher is 5.3 per cent.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a library, swimming pool, sixth form centre, gymnasium, music rooms, playing fields, tennis courts, and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include netball, football, tennis, swimming, basketball, rugby, cricket, and martial arts, while clubs cover drama, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, science, art, book, gardening, and coding. SEND provision is well-regarded by parents: 93 per cent of those responding to the Parent View survey said their child receives the support they need, and the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is non-religious and has co-headteachers Claire Bernard and David Horner. With 84 per cent of parents recommending the school, it clearly appeals to families who value its inclusive ethos and broad extracurricular offer, despite the academic challenges reflected in its Ofsted rating.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About George Dixon Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents