The Royal Sutton School
85%
Capacity
972
Pupils
5.0x
Demand
About The Royal Sutton School
The Royal Sutton School’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.74 sits well below the Birmingham local authority average of 0.09 for secondary schools, a gap of 0.83 that places it in the bottom half of schools nationally. This is a significant difference, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is officially rated as ‘Well below average’. Digging into the breakdown, the school performs weakest in open subjects (Progress 8 Open of -0.85) and English (-0.62), while maths (-0.72) and EBacc subjects (-0.76) are similarly low. In Birmingham’s league table of 83 secondary schools, The Royal Sutton School ranks 78th, meaning only five schools in the authority have a lower score. For context, the top-performing school in the LA, Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham, achieves a Progress 8 of 1.58. The school’s attainment 8 score of 35.9 is also modest, and only 22% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths.
The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023 rated it Good overall, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018. All four graded categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — were judged Good. This suggests that while academic outcomes are currently low, the school’s leadership under headteacher Nicola Gould is driving improvement. The EBacc entry rate of 46.8% is reasonable, though only 7% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. With 46.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a significantly disadvantaged intake, which may partly explain the lower headline scores. The school has no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16.
The Royal Sutton School is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 1,061 applications for 213 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.98, and only 61 first-preference offers were made. This suggests strong local demand despite the academic data. Facilities are notably strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, tennis courts, astro turf, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel. The school offers a wide range of sports and clubs, from rowing and martial arts to Model UN and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provision covers eight categories, including autistic spectrum disorder and speech, language and communication needs. This school will suit families who value a broad extracurricular offer and a supportive environment, but who are realistic about current academic performance relative to the Birmingham average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Reddicap Heath Road, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, B75 7DY |
| Headteacher | Nicola Gould |
| Local Authority | Birmingham |
| Number of Pupils | 972 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 46.6% |
| School Capacity | 972 / 1,141 (85% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Dec 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 21 Jan 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.74)
2883rd of 3,141
Nationally
341st of 371
In West Midlands
78th 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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2340%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 169 pupils).
- FE college41%
- School sixth form (stay)40%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained5%
- Sixth form college2%
93% 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
2022/2345%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 47 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
15%
Russell Group
15%
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)45%
- Employment23%
- Not sustained15%
- Further education6%
- Apprenticeship2%
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- Chemistry13
- Biology11
- Psychology9
- History8
- English Language and Literature6
- Mathematics6
- Sociology5
- Physics4
- Art and Design (Fine Art)3
- Geography3
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
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed213
1,061
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
61 families put this school as their 1st choice (6% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: theroyalsuttonschool.atlp.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British49.8%
- Mixed10.5%
- Asian9.2%
- White (other)4.9%
- Black0.5%
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Royal Sutton 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
Reddicap Heath Road, Sutton Coldfield
Birmingham, B75 7DY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at The Royal Sutton School!
Write a Review