Hawkesley Church Primary Academy

About Hawkesley Church Primary Academy

Hawkesley Church Primary Academy is a school that local parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 37 applications for just 16 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.31. All 16 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that for families who put it top of their list, the odds are good. The school is a Church of England/Methodist primary in Birmingham, led by headteacher Petrina Poleon, and currently has 228 pupils against a capacity of 360. With 68.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a community with significant economic need. The most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2021, rated the school Good overall, with Good marks across every category including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This is a notable improvement from its previous inspection in November 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 40%, which is below the Birmingham local authority average of 63%. In reading, 60% met the expected standard and 17% reached the higher standard; in writing, 63% met the expected standard and 13% reached the higher standard; and in maths, 60% met the expected standard and 23% reached the higher standard. The average scaled scores were 102 in reading and 101 in maths. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 10% of all primary schools for the combined expected standard metric, and in Birmingham it sits at 246th out of 254 schools. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, art studios, ICT suite, forest school, playing fields, music rooms and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, athletics, rounders, cross country, swimming and tennis, while clubs include gardening, eco club, drama, coding and choir. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for ten different categories, from specific learning difficulties like dyslexia through to autistic spectrum disorder and multi-sensory impairment. The school also has a nursery provision for children from age three. Given its strong oversubscription and improved Ofsted rating, Hawkesley Church Primary Academy is likely to appeal to local families who value a faith-based setting and a school that has demonstrably turned around its performance, though the below-average KS2 outcomes are an important consideration for those focused on academic results.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Hawkesley Church Primary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents