SCHOOL PROFILE

James Brindley School

Not applicable Academy special converter URN 139526
Open
Pupils 8,834,192 Latest school census
Capacity 557 Published school capacity
Capacity used 18.7% Pupils as a share of capacity
Age range 2 – 19 Statutory age range
OFSTED

Latest ungraded inspection

29 June 2022
Latest published outcome School remains Good
SCHOOL DETAILS

About this school

School type Academy special converter
Phase Not applicable
Gender Mixed
Religious character Does not apply
Local authority Birmingham
Trust THINK DIFFERENTLY EDUCATION TRUST
Census date 15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE

School community

Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.

2025/26
Total pupils 104 104 full-time · 0 part-time
Female pupils 34 32.7% of pupils
Male pupils 70 67.3% of pupils

Free school meals

Pupils eligible for free school meals.

44.2%
19.4 pts above England
School 44.2%
Birmingham 45.4%
West Midlands 30.6%
England 24.8%

English as an additional language

Pupils whose first language is not English.

1.9%
18.4 pts below England
School 1.9%
Birmingham 38.9%
West Midlands 22.4%
England 20.3%

Young carers

Pupils recorded as young carers.

1.0%
0.0 pts in line with England
School 1.0%
Birmingham 0.5%
West Midlands 0.6%
England 1.0%

Ethnicity

Largest recorded pupil groups.

White British
67.3%
70
White and Black Caribbean
7.7%
8
Any other Mixed background
3.8%
4
African
2.9%
3
Any other Asian background
2.9%
3
Any other Black background
2.9%
3
Council, regional and national comparisons are pupil-weighted using published school census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS

Special educational needs

Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.

2025/26
Pupils with SEN 100.0% 104 of 104 pupils
79.2 pts above England England: 20.8%
School 100.0%
Birmingham 20.7%
West Midlands 21.1%
England 20.8%
SEN support 12.5% 13 pupils
England 14.8% 2.3 pts below
EHC plans 87.5% 91 pupils
England 6.0% 81.5 pts above
PRIMARY NEEDS

Most common identified needs

Pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder 66
Social, emotional & mental health 32
Speech, language & communication 3
Moderate learning difficulty 1
Other difficulty or disability 1
Specific learning difficulty 1

SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.

ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE

Attendance profile

Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.

2024/25
ABSENCE RATE

Overall absence

31.11%

Percentage of possible sessions missed.

24.89 pts higher than England
School 31.11%
Birmingham 7.01%
West Midlands 6.28%
England 6.22%
ABSENCE RATE

Persistent absence

74.80%

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

58.99 pts higher than England
School 74.80%
Birmingham 20.05%
West Midlands 16.42%
England 15.82%
ABSENCE RATE

Severe absence

35.17%

Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.

33.37 pts higher than England
School 35.17%
Birmingham 2.18%
West Midlands 1.82%
England 1.80%
Council, regional and national comparisons are averages of published school-level percentages rather than pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

School context

Comparison with open not applicable schools.

CAPACITY

Capacity utilisation

18.7% 61.1 pts below England
James Brindley School
18.7%
Birmingham
69.3%
West Midlands
76.9%
England
79.8%
Benchmarks use open schools in the same phase. Capacity utilisation is calculated from published pupil and capacity figures.
Sources: Department for Education · Get Information about Schools · Ofsted monthly management information