Queen Mary's Grammar School
174%
Capacity
1,377
Pupils
4.8x
Demand
About Queen Mary's Grammar School
Queen Mary's Grammar School in Walsall is a boys' secondary school that is significantly larger than its physical capacity suggests, with 1,377 pupils on roll against a stated capacity of 792. That gap alone hints at the demand for places here, and the admissions data for 2025/26 confirms it: the school received 828 applications for just 174 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.76. Only 125 of those offers went to first-preference applicants, meaning many families who put it top still missed out. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 25.7%, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests a genuinely mixed intake. For context, the local authority of Walsall has 20 state secondary schools, and Queen Mary's is one of only two rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The other, Queen Mary's High School, sits just 1.5 km away, so this corner of the West Midlands is something of a hotspot for high-performing selective and grammar-style state education.
Academically, the school's results are striking. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score of +0.6 is classed as 'well above average' and places it first out of 18 schools in Walsall, where the average Progress 8 is -0.21. That means pupils here achieve nearly two-thirds of a grade more per subject than similar students nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 74.3, and 97.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is high at 90.7%, with 70.7% achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the school's value-added score is -0.36, which is below average, though the average grade per entry is a B and 35.1% of entries achieved at least an AAB. The sixth form has 228 students, and the school offers a broad range of subjects, with a best three A-level average grade also sitting at a B.
The school's facilities include a gymnasium, sports hall, music rooms, and a dedicated sixth form centre, and the extracurricular offer is wide: rowing, martial arts, dance, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award sit alongside Model UN, debating, and a school newspaper. SEND provision covers a broad spectrum, including support for dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. The school is not a boarding school and has no religious character. For families considering it, the key takeaway is that Queen Mary's is a heavily oversubscribed, high-attaining boys' school with a genuinely comprehensive intake by FSM measures. It suits families who value strong GCSE outcomes and a structured academic environment, but the sixth form value-added data suggests that the strongest relative gains happen before Year 12. Given the competition for places, early registration and a strong entrance performance are essential.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Boys |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Sutton Road, Walsall, Walsall, WS1 2PG |
| Headteacher | Richard Langton |
| Local Authority | Walsall |
| Number of Pupils | 1,377 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 25.7% |
| School Capacity | 1,377 / 792 (174% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
28 Mar 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 22 May 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.60)
375th of 3,141
Nationally
28th of 371
In West Midlands
1st of 18
In Walsall
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more 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
42.6
'22/23
39.3
'23/24
39.7
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
2022/2393%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 150 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)93%
- FE college3%
- Employment1%
- Not sustained1%
99% 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
2022/2377%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 207 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
51%
Russell Group
52%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
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)77%
- Employment8%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Other education1%
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- Mathematics170
- Chemistry136
- Biology123
- Physics74
- Economics37
- History30
- Psychology28
- Mathematics (Further)26
- Design and Technology (Product Design)24
- Geography22
- Computer Studies / Computing17
- English Literature14
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
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed174
828
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
343 families put this school as their 1st choice (41% 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- Asian70.6%
- White British9.2%
- Mixed5.7%
- White (other)1.9%
- Black1.0%
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
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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.
16
Total schools
8
Oversubscribed
11
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Queen Mary's Grammar School
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
Sutton Road, Walsall
Walsall, WS1 2PG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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