St Michael's Church of England High School

About St Michael's Church of England High School

St Michael's Church of England High School is a state secondary for 11-16 year olds in Sandwell, West Midlands, and it is noticeably oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 708 applications for 225 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.15, with 256 families putting it as their first preference. That level of demand makes sense when you look at the intake profile: the school currently has 1,178 pupils against a capacity of 1,125, so it is running above its official number. Just 3.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average and suggests a relatively advantaged catchment. The school is a Church of England school, and its headteacher is Christina Handy-Rivett. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with Outstanding marks for both behaviour and attitudes and personal development, and Good for quality of education and leadership and management. Its previous inspection in 2009 had rated it Outstanding.

Academically, St Michael's is a strong performer. Its Progress 8 score of 0.56 is well above average nationally, and it ranks 3rd out of 19 schools in Sandwell, placing it in the top 25% of schools across England. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.14, so pupils here make significantly more progress than their peers in other Sandwell schools. The Attainment 8 score is 59.7, and 92.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 78.2% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 5.3, and 48% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects. Looking at the breakdown, progress in English (0.65) and maths (0.57) is particularly strong, and the open element of Progress 8 (0.71) shows that pupils perform very well across their chosen subjects. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils move on elsewhere after Year 11.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a theatre, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel. Sports on offer include rowing, rugby, football, and cross country, and there are clubs such as orchestra, debate, eco club, and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of needs including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and physical disabilities. With 222 first preference offers made for 225 places, the school is clearly in high demand, so families considering it should be aware that securing a place is competitive. It suits families who value strong academic progress, a church ethos, and a school with outstanding behaviour ratings, but who are comfortable with the school being above capacity and without a sixth form.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Michael's Church of England High School

Helpful Guides for Parents