Holyhead School

About Holyhead School

If you're a parent weighing up Holyhead School, the first thing to know is that 87% of parents who responded to the most recent Ofsted Parent View survey would recommend it, which is a strong signal of day-to-day satisfaction. The school is also heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 741 applications for 211 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.51. Only 184 of those places went to first-preference applicants, out of 193 first-preference applications, so securing a spot is competitive. On the survey, 90% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 94% felt their child is safe. Behaviour gets a thumbs-up too, with 83% agreeing the school ensures pupils are well behaved. The school's most recent graded inspection was in 2020, when it was rated Good across all areas, and an ungraded inspection in 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

Academically, Holyhead's Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was -0.04, which is bang on the national average and sits just below the Birmingham local authority average of 0.09. That places the school 52nd out of 83 secondaries in Birmingham, and 1623rd nationally out of 3141 schools. The Attainment 8 score was 41.4, and 61.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate was 41.7%, with 19.9% achieving the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is stronger: the value-added score was 0.37, which is above average, and students achieved an average of 30.74 points per entry, equivalent to a C grade. The best three A-levels averaged a C grade too, and 12.5% of entries were at AAB or higher. English was a relative strength at KS4, with a Progress 8 score of +0.3, while maths was slightly below at -0.13.

Holyhead is a large secondary with 1271 pupils on roll, slightly above its capacity of 1250. It has a dedicated sixth form centre and a wide range of facilities including science labs, music rooms, an astro turf, tennis courts, and playing fields. Sports on offer include rowing, swimming, rugby, and netball, and clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to chess, gardening, and orchestra. The school lists ten SEND provisions, covering areas from dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorder to speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 58.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse and disadvantaged intake. Given its oversubscription, it's a school that local families clearly want, and it suits parents who value a Good-rated, inclusive comprehensive with a strong sixth form and a broad extracurricular offer.

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