Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form

A high-demand girls’ community school with an established sixth form, Bordesley Green Girls’ School & Sixth Form is defined by two things: ambitious outcomes for a comprehensive intake, and a deliberate focus on inclusion. The latest inspection judged the school Good across every area, including sixth form provision.

The academic picture is mixed in a way that parents can use. GCSE progress is a clear strength, while A-level outcomes sit below England averages, suggesting that sixth form applicants should look closely at subject choices, support, and study culture. Admissions pressure is not subtle. The school itself notes that demand is very high, with around 600 first-choice applicants for 125 places in recent years. Recent admissions data also points to heavy oversubscription. This is a school where the education is accessible, but the place is hard to secure.

Leadership is stable. Ms Pritpal Hyare became substantive headteacher from September 2020, after serving as acting headteacher from October 2018.

The tone here is purposeful and work-focused, with the kind of classroom ambition that families often associate with selective settings, but delivered within a non-selective framework. Pupils are described as happy, keen to succeed, and ready to work hard in lessons, which matters in a large secondary where consistency is the difference between a calm day and a chaotic one.

Inclusion is not a slogan. A defining feature is the on-site hearing resource base, supporting pupils with hearing impairment alongside the mainstream curriculum, with targeted strategies that enable pupils to participate fully. For families with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in this area of need, that combination of specialist expertise and mainstream social life can be particularly compelling.

Pastoral practice is visible in the way the school describes its safeguarding partnerships. The website sets out a two-way information sharing agreement with West Midlands Police, and links that to local partnership work, which signals a safeguarding culture that looks beyond the school gates and into the realities of local risk.

This is also a school that reflects its local context in practical ways. The published calendar includes observance markers such as Ramadan and Eid dates (noted as to be confirmed), alongside parents’ evenings, work experience, field trips, and wellbeing sessions such as an internet safety event for parents. That blend will feel familiar to many Birmingham families, and reassuring to those who want school life to acknowledge both academic and wider responsibilities.

Bordesley Green Girls’ School & Sixth Form has a performance profile that is best understood in three layers: overall GCSE position, progress, and the sixth form trend.

GCSE outcomes and ranking

Ranked 1,908th in England and 35th in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

That positioning matters because it avoids two common misreads. First, it is not an “elite tier” GCSE school by headline ranking. Second, it is clearly not low-performing either, and the school’s progress measure suggests that outcomes do not tell the full story.

Progress 8: a headline strength

The school’s Progress 8 score is +0.6, indicating students make well above-average progress from their starting points compared with similar pupils nationally. For parents, this is one of the most useful indicators available, because it speaks to teaching impact and academic momentum, not just raw attainment.

Attainment and EBacc

The Attainment 8 score is 49.8. The school’s EBacc average point score is 4.5. These measures suggest a broadly solid academic foundation and a reasonably strong EBacc performance for those entered, even though the proportion achieving grade 5 or above in EBacc subjects is relatively modest at 16.4%.

A useful lens from the inspection report is that teaching is described as knowledgeable and clear, with regular checking for understanding, and strong results in many subjects. That aligns with the Progress 8 story: impact in lessons, and improving outcomes for students over time.

A-level outcomes and ranking

The sixth form sits in a different place. Ranked 2,138th in England and 35th in Birmingham for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it falls in a lower national band, placing it in the bottom 40% of A-level providers by this measure.

In the most recent published grade distribution: A* 0%, A 10%, B 20%, and A* to B 30%. For sixth form applicants, this does not mean the sixth form is weak across the board, but it does mean subject selection, study support, and day-to-day expectations are worth probing carefully at open events and interviews.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to view GCSE and A-level measures side by side across nearby Birmingham schools, since the “right” choice often depends on whether GCSE progress, EBacc depth, or sixth form outcomes matter most for your child’s pathway.

The inspection report gives a clear picture of how learning is structured: in many subjects, curriculum content is well planned and sequenced, with careful thought about the order of topics and the knowledge pupils need to retain for future learning.

Example, curriculum sequencing that supports retention

The report highlights history as a model where themes such as conflict and power run through topics so teachers can revisit and connect ideas. The implication for pupils is that learning is more than short-term exam preparation; it is designed to build long-term understanding that supports stronger writing, better recall, and more confident discussion.

Example, classroom routines that check misconceptions early

Teachers are described as regularly checking learning and using questioning to pick up errors and misconceptions quickly, including recall activities at the start of lessons. For families, that approach is often felt as clarity: pupils know what “good” looks like, and weaker understanding is addressed before it becomes a long-term gap.

Mathematics and science as visible pillars

On the website, mathematics is framed around a mastery model in Key Stage 3 and 4, with an emphasis on deep conceptual understanding rather than rote rules. In science, the curriculum pages emphasise practical work and structured intervention, with a STEM club linked to both lunchtime and after-school support. The implication is a school that expects students to keep up, but also provides mechanisms for those who need extra teaching time.

A clear area for improvement

Languages are the standout weakness in the inspection narrative, described as not coherently planned or sequenced, with insufficient curriculum time at Key Stage 3 to secure knowledge in depth. Parents of language-strong pupils, or those considering EBacc-heavy pathways, should ask how this has evolved since 2022, what curriculum time now looks like, and how the department supports pupils who want to take a language through GCSE and beyond.

Where Students Go Next

The school publishes qualitative destinations information rather than headline percentages for Russell Group or Oxbridge, so the most useful approach is to combine the official destination data with the school’s published destination examples.

Post-18 destinations data

For the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort (cohort size 162), 53% progressed to university, 3% to further education, 5% to apprenticeships, and 11% to employment.

Oxbridge pipeline

Oxbridge outcomes are modest but present. In the measured period there were 2 Oxbridge applications and 1 acceptance. For a comprehensive school, a small Oxbridge pipeline can still matter, not because it defines the experience for most students, but because it signals that the sixth form is prepared to support the highest-attaining applicants through a complex admissions process when the individual fit is right.

Qualitative destination breadth

The destinations list includes a wide spread of university routes and apprenticeships, with repeated appearances of local universities such as Aston University and Birmingham City University, alongside professional degree pathways and higher-level apprenticeships. The school also highlights course destinations such as dentistry, aerospace engineering, pharmacy, nursing, law, and economics in its results communications. For families, this breadth is often the practical mark of a sixth form that takes “next steps” seriously for a wide academic range, not only for the most academic minority.

Careers education as a structured thread

The school’s published careers programme references enterprise and enrichment days and named external partners, including universities, the NHS, and major local employers. Students applying through UCAS are supported with personal statement input, finance information, and an online platform used for university and pathway planning.

Admissions differ by entry point, and this is a school where families should plan early, because competition is not theoretical.

Year 7 entry, Birmingham co-ordinated admissions

Year 7 applications are handled through Birmingham City Council. The council timetable for September 2027 entry states that applications open on 1 September 2026, with the statutory closing date on 31 October 2026. National offer day is 1 March 2027.

Demand is high. The headteacher’s welcome note references around 600 first-choice applicants for 125 places in recent years, and indicates that building capacity constrains admission numbers. The school’s admissions page also makes clear that it follows the Birmingham City Council process and directs families to policy documentation for oversubscription criteria.

For families who are making housing or travel decisions based on likely admission, use FindMySchoolMap Search tools to measure routes and practical distance, then treat the result as planning support rather than certainty. Oversubscription patterns shift annually.

Sixth form entry, September 2026 start

Sixth form applications are direct to the school via the sixth form admissions section. For the next sixth form start, families should check the current application deadline and interview timetable on the school’s sixth form admissions pages, because places are limited.

Prospective applicants should also note the published curriculum structure. The sixth form offers three pathways: an A-level route, a BTEC Extended Diploma route, and a Level 2 route alongside GCSE English and or mathematics resits where needed. Subjects listed include A-level options such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, further mathematics, physics, psychology, sociology, law, and EPQ, alongside vocational routes including health and social care and applied science, plus a technical information technology qualification.

Open events

For sixth form, an open evening was held on Wednesday 12 November 2025 (5:00pm to 7:30pm), with the school stating that attendees could simply turn up. If you are reading this after that date, the timing still helps. Schools that run a November open evening typically repeat it annually, and the school website is the most reliable place to confirm the next event.

Pastoral support is framed through two practical lenses: safeguarding culture, and targeted support for pupils who need it.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and the school describes partnership working with local policing as part of its approach. For families, the implication is not “more discipline”, but clearer information flow and earlier intervention when risks appear beyond school.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is set out in a structured SEN offer. The school describes an inclusive mainstream model across the four broad areas of need in the SEND Code of Practice, and explains how concerns are identified and escalated through the SENCO, tutors, heads of key stage, and external agencies where appropriate. The hearing resource base is a particularly important element for eligible pupils with EHCPs, and the inspection report describes that support as especially effective in enabling pupils to access the full curriculum.

Wellbeing is also treated as part of everyday life rather than an add-on. The school provides a Healthy Body and Mind page that links physical health, mental health, and learning readiness, with pastoral teams identified as a point of support.

Extracurricular life is best understood through named activities that reflect how the school builds confidence and belonging, especially for pupils who need structured opportunities to participate.

STEM and practical making

Technology is a visible strand. Design Technology and Food Technology pages both reference a Technology Tuesday Club, positioning it as a practical extension of workshop learning. Science pages also reference a STEM club, alongside lunchtime and after-school intervention and student leadership roles within the club. The implication is that STEM is not confined to lessons; pupils who enjoy making and experimenting can keep that thread running through the week, while those who need extra support can access additional teaching time.

Sport and leadership

Physical education pages list extra-curricular options by year group, including year-specific PE clubs and sports such as football, netball, basketball, cricket, and benchball, plus links to Duke of Edinburgh activity. For many pupils, sports clubs are the simplest way to build friendship networks quickly in Year 7 and 8, particularly in a large school.

Culture, language, and creative outlets

From the inspection report, clubs restarting after disruption included art, Urdu, and football. The calendar also references activities that shape the year beyond timetabled lessons, including residential experiences and fieldwork, which often matter most for confidence, independence, and peer connection.

Sixth form enrichment and service

The sixth form curriculum page sets out enrichment as a defined component, with options including longer projects such as engineering, STEM, or debating, and routes for community contribution such as volunteering, mentoring, and student roles including mental health leads and literacy leaders. For students, this kind of structured enrichment can be decisive in building personal statements, apprenticeship applications, and interview confidence, especially for those who do not have external networks to draw on.

School opening times are published clearly: 08:45 to 15:25 on most days, and 08:45 to 14:55 on Wednesdays. Term dates and a detailed calendar are also available on the school website, which is useful for planning around parents’ evenings, vaccinations, work experience, and exam periods.

For travel, the school’s position on Bordesley Green Road makes it accessible for many local families using public transport and walking routes, but journey times vary significantly across Birmingham. Families should check real-world routes at the times your child would travel, not only at weekends.

• Admission pressure is sustained. The school reports around 600 first-choice applicants for 125 places in recent years, and recent admissions data points to heavy oversubscription. Families should treat this as a competitive choice and maintain realistic alternatives on the Birmingham preference form.

• Sixth form outcomes are weaker than GCSE progress suggests. A-level outcomes sit below England averages so sixth form applicants should ask about subject-level support, entry requirements by course, and how independent study is structured across Year 12 and Year 13.

• Languages need scrutiny. Curriculum planning and curriculum time in modern foreign languages were identified as a weakness in the 2022 inspection report. Families who want a language pathway through GCSE and A-level should ask what has changed since then.

• Some wellbeing education content historically arrived late. Relationships and sex education sequencing was identified as an area to strengthen, with some sexual health content previously left until Key Stage 4. It is reasonable to ask how the curriculum is now sequenced, particularly for younger pupils.

Bordesley Green Girls’ School & Sixth Form is a high-demand, inclusive community school where strong progress and clear expectations are central. GCSE progress is the headline strength, and the school’s inclusion work, including the hearing resource base, adds real value for the right pupils. The main challenge is securing a place, and for sixth form applicants, the sensible approach is to match course choices carefully to support and outcomes. This will suit families who want a girls’ school with an ambitious culture, strong pastoral structures, and a broad set of post-16 pathways, and who are prepared to navigate competitive admissions.