Waverley School
87%
Capacity
1,696
Pupils
8.5x
Demand
About Waverley School
Waverley School is a large all-through state school in Birmingham that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 secondary intake, the school received 995 applications for just 117 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 8.5 to one. Of those applicants, 97 put Waverley as their first preference, and 72 of those families were offered a place. That level of demand suggests strong local reputation, even though the school doesn't publish a parent recommendation percentage in the data. The school is a mixed, non-religious secondary with a sixth form, and it serves a community where over half of pupils (51.1%) are eligible for free school meals. With 1,696 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,947, there is some room to grow, but the sheer volume of applications means most families will be disappointed.
Academically, Waverley sits in the middle of the pack nationally. Its Progress 8 score of -0.04 is classed as 'Average', meaning pupils achieve broadly what you'd expect given their starting points. That's slightly below the Birmingham local authority average of 0.09. In English, pupils actually make above-average progress (0.34), while maths progress is close to zero (0.07). Attainment 8 sits at 39.7, and 61.3% of pupils achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the picture is weaker: the school's progress score of -0.47 is rated 'Below average', with an average grade of D+ per entry. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021, the school was rated Good across all categories, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2017.
Waverley offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, astro turf, art studios, and a sixth form centre. There are plenty of clubs and activities on offer, from gardening and eco club to Duke of Edinburgh, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. The school also has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder, plus a resourced provision. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, diverse, inclusive secondary with good behaviour and leadership, solid but not outstanding results, and a real buzz of demand. If you're applying, make sure it's your first choice — with an 8.5 to one ratio, second preferences are unlikely to succeed.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Yardley Green Road, Birmingham, Birmingham, B9 5QA |
| Headteacher | Satnam Dosanjh Hugh Derry |
| Local Authority | Birmingham |
| Number of Pupils | 1,696 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 51.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,696 / 1,947 (87% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
28 Sept 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 Nov 2021. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.04)
1614th of 3,141
Nationally
158th of 371
In West Midlands
51st of 83
In Birmingham
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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
29.4
'22/23
22.8
'23/24
21.9
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
2022/2326%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 190 pupils).
- FE college37%
- Sixth form college27%
- School sixth form (stay)26%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Employment1%
94% 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
2022/2361%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 46 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
14%
Russell Group
14%
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)61%
- Not sustained17%
- Employment11%
- Further education2%
- Other education2%
- 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- Biology23
- Chemistry20
- Religious Studies17
- Psychology14
- Mathematics13
- Sociology9
- English Literature8
- Business Studies:Single6
- Urdu6
- Law4
- Physics3
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
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
21Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed117
995
Extremely High Demand
Very competitive - significantly more applications than places
97 families put this school as their 1st choice (10% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian69.4%
- Mixed5.0%
- White (other)2.4%
- White British0.6%
- Black0.1%
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.
19
Total schools
17
Oversubscribed
12
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 Waverley 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
Yardley Green Road, Birmingham
Birmingham, B9 5QA
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 Waverley School!
Write a Review