Lift Percy Shurmer

About Lift Percy Shurmer

Lift Percy Shurmer is a state primary school in Birmingham, one of 292 primary schools in the local authority. It ranks 8th out of 254 schools in Birmingham on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the top 5% of primaries locally. Its closest high-performing peers include Little Sutton Primary School, Cromwell Junior and Infant School, and Lift Lea Forest, all of which score similarly on the ranking metric. The school is led by headteacher Marie Duffy and has a non-religious character. With 457 pupils on roll and a capacity of 459, it is effectively full. A notable feature of the school’s intake is that 67.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, which makes its academic performance all the more striking.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Outstanding across every category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2016, where early years provision, leadership, and overall effectiveness were all graded as Good. At key stage 2 in 2023/24, 90% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with a Birmingham local authority average of just 63%. The school also achieved strong average scaled scores of 108 in reading and 107 in maths. A higher proportion of pupils reached the higher standard in reading (40%), writing (32%), and maths (22%) than is typical nationally. Nationally, the school ranks 335th out of 13,686 primaries, placing it in the top 2.5% of all schools.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including playing fields, art studios, a gymnasium, library, outdoor playground, forest school, and dining hall. Sports provision covers gymnastics, athletics, netball, tennis, cross country, swimming, and rounders, while clubs include drama, eco club, and gardening. There is a nursery provision for children from age 3. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 181 applications for 60 places, with 77 first-preference applications and 60 offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.02. SEND support is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, and a resourced provision. This is a school that delivers exceptional outcomes for a diverse, high-needs intake and will suit families who prioritise strong academic progress and a broad enrichment offer within a fully inclusive setting.

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