WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull)

About WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull)

WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull) sits in the Solihull local authority, where it ranks 14th out of 15 secondary schools on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the borough. The top-performing peers in the area are Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull, Arden, and Lyndon School, all of which post significantly stronger progress scores. The school is a state-funded, mixed 14-19 institution with a technical engineering focus, and it currently has 419 pupils against a capacity of 640, meaning there is room for growth. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 judged the school as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2019. The inspection found that quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all require improvement, though sixth-form provision and personal development were rated Good. Parent opinion is mixed: 79% of respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agree their child is happy and feels safe, but concerns about behaviour and how concerns are handled are notable.

Academically, the school's results are well below local and national averages. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score is -1.29, compared with the Solihull LA average of -0.12, and it ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 33.5, and only 23.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. No pupils entered the EBacc, and the EBacc average point score is just 2.62. At A-level, the picture is similarly challenging: the value-added score is -0.55, placing it in the below average band, and the average points per entry is 21.29, equivalent to a D grade. The best three A-levels average out at a D+. On the positive side, 28.6% of entries achieved AAB or higher, which suggests some strong individual performances. The sixth form itself was rated Good by Ofsted, and the school's engineering specialism may attract students who are less suited to a traditional academic route.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including science labs, a theatre, music rooms, a sixth-form centre, and sports amenities such as tennis courts, a gymnasium, and playing fields. Clubs include Model UN, Young Enterprise, coding, and drama, and sports on offer range from martial arts to swimming and rugby. SEND provision covers seven categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support, though the Parent View data shows no responses from parents of SEND children, so it is hard to gauge how well that support works in practice. The school is oversubscribed in the sense that it has 419 pupils against a 640 capacity, so it is not at full roll. For families considering it, the key question is whether the engineering focus and sixth-form Good rating outweigh the weak core academic outcomes and the Requires Improvement judgement. It may suit a student who is motivated by a technical curriculum and needs a smaller, more specialised environment.

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