Lift Greenwood
87%
Capacity
942
Pupils
2.4x
Demand
About Lift Greenwood
Lift Greenwood is a mixed state secondary in Birmingham that currently educates 942 pupils against a school capacity of 1,080. The school serves a community with significantly higher-than-average economic disadvantage: 54.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national average of roughly 23-24% for secondary schools. Despite this challenging intake, the school is clearly in demand. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, it received 501 applications for 206 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.43. Of those, 171 first-preference offers were made from 173 first-preference applications, suggesting that while the school is popular, most families who put it first were successful. The headteacher, Daniel Opoku, leads a school that has seen a notable improvement in its Ofsted rating since its previous inspection, when it was judged as Requires Improvement overall.
Academically, Lift Greenwood's outcomes are mixed and reflect the challenges of its intake. At Key Stage 4, the school's Progress 8 score is -0.97, which is well below the national average and significantly lower than the Birmingham local authority average of 0.09. This places the school 81st out of 83 secondary schools in Birmingham and in the bottom 5% nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 35.8, and 33.7% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 3.24, with 76.2% of pupils entered for the EBacc combination. At sixth form, the picture is similarly challenging: the value-added score is -0.5, with a points per entry of 22.61 (equivalent to a D+ grade), and the progress banding is rated as Below average. Only 4.8% of students achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a Sixth Form Centre, science labs, an astro turf pitch, a theatre, and a sports hall, with sports provision covering swimming, football, dance, rowing, and martial arts. Clubs include Debate, Model UN, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Lift Greenwood has a comprehensive SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, plus a resourced provision. The school is non-denominational and does not have a religious character. Given its oversubscription but relatively high offer rate for first-preference applicants, it is a realistic option for Birmingham families who want a local secondary with a sixth form and a strong SEND support framework, though they should be aware that academic outcomes are significantly below the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Farnborough Road, Castle Vale, Birmingham, Birmingham, B35 7NL |
| Headteacher | Daniel Opoku |
| Local Authority | Birmingham |
| Number of Pupils | 942 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 54.2% |
| School Capacity | 942 / 1,080 (87% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Oct 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 22 Nov 2021. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.97)
3003rd of 3,141
Nationally
353rd of 371
In West Midlands
81st of 83
In Birmingham
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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
20.8
'22/23
19.4
'23/24
22.6
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
2022/2325%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 171 pupils).
- FE college45%
- School sixth form (stay)25%
- Not sustained13%
- Sixth form college7%
- Employment4%
- Apprenticeship2%
84% 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
2022/2363%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 40 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
6%
Russell Group
6%
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)63%
- Employment15%
- Not sustained15%
- Further education3%
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- Psychology11
- Sociology10
- Law7
- Art and Design6
- History5
- Biology4
- Mathematics4
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
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed206
501
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
173 families put this school as their 1st choice (35% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
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.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British60.0%
- Mixed17.4%
- Asian5.7%
- White (other)2.8%
- Black2.7%
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.
8
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
5
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 Lift Greenwood
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
Farnborough Road, Castle Vale, Birmingham
Birmingham, B35 7NL
Farnborough Road, Castle Vale, Birmingham
Birmingham, B35 7NL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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