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Academy sponsor led · Solihull

Smith's Wood Academy

  • 11–16Ages
  • 697Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • 143895URN

Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, B36 0UE · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Category of concern: Special measures

Report card · inspected Jan 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
2.4per place
0.8 below Solihull median (3.2)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Solihull

276 applications for 117 places · 13th of 14 in Solihull
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
33.0of 90
15th of 15 in Solihull
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Ofsted category of concern: Special measures

Report card · inspected 13 January 2026Published 4 March 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionDoes not apply to this school
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 13 January 2026
    Report card · 4 Expected standard, 2 Needs attention
  2. 7 March 2023
    Graded inspection: Inadequate

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
2.4applications per place, Year 7
0.8 below Solihull median (3.2) close to England median (2.2)

276 applications · 117 places offered · 84 named it first

  1. 2026 2.4; Solihull median median 3.2
  2. 2025 2.0; Solihull median median 3.0
  3. 2024 1.3; Solihull median median 3.1
  4. 2023 1.5; Solihull median median 3.1
  5. 2022 1.7; Solihull median median 3.1
  6. 2021 2.2; Solihull median median 2.9
  7. 2020 1.7; Solihull median median 2.9
  8. 2019 2.1; Solihull median median 3.0
  9. 2018 1.6; Solihull median median 2.6
  10. 2017 1.8; Solihull median median 2.6; as the previous school
  11. 2016 1.7; Solihull median median 2.4; as the previous school
  12. 2015 1.8; Solihull median median 2.7; as the previous school
  13. 2014 1.9; Solihull median median 2.5; as the previous school
More applications per place than the Solihull median in 0 of 9 years.
  • This school
  • Solihull median

Dashed bars: as Smith's Wood Sports College (URN 104118), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20261172762.4840.72
Sep 20251182332.0790.67
Sep 20241862361.3610.33
Sep 20232063161.5790.38
Sep 20222023381.71080.53
Sep 20211493292.2980.66
Sep 20201943351.71100.57
Sep 20191803702.11260.70
Sep 20182413821.61290.54
Sep 2017 *2394251.81810.76
Sep 2016 *2394151.71820.76
Sep 2015 *2344171.82070.88
Sep 2014 *2053911.91870.91

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

117 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)33.015th of 15 in Solihull
Grade 5 or above in English and maths14%15th of 15 in Solihull
Grade 4 or above in English and maths35%
  • This school
  • Solihull median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−1.52
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)11733.014%35%–
2024/2515632.219%37%–
2023/2414530.017%42%−1.52
2022/2317423.98%23%−1.83

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Academy sponsor led
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
143895 · 334/4037
Trust
Fairfax Multi Academy Trust
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Capacity
1,000 pupils · 697 on roll
Free school meals
65.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened
1 April 2017
Replaced
Smith's Wood Sports College (URN 104118)
Address
Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, B36 0UE
Local authority
Solihull

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources