Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School Review 2026, A values-led Birmingham comprehensive with wide enrichment and a growing sixth form

Clear expectations sit at the centre of life here, backed by a house system and a strong emphasis on manners, respect and purposeful learning. The school is part of the Matrix Academy Trust and describes a “no excuses” culture, alongside a commitment to supporting every pupil to progress to the next stage, whether that is further study, an apprenticeship, or employment with training.

Academically, GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle tier of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Sixth form outcomes are more mixed, with grade profiles that sit below England averages overall, although the offer is practical and pathway-led, with both A-level and BTEC routes.

Beyond lessons, the school puts real weight behind enrichment. Combined Cadet Force (RAF), Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Japanese club, steel pans, dance, music tech, Pride Club, and a steady rhythm of trips give many pupils a strong reason to stay engaged beyond the timetable.

The prevailing tone is structured and purposeful. Pupils are expected to follow a clear set of values and routines, and the school positions this as a route to better learning and better behaviour. The Matrix Academy Trust’s approach is visible in the language used, with a strong emphasis on aspiration and personal responsibility, alongside a recognition that pupils also need guidance on wellbeing, relationships, online safety, and future pathways.

Leadership is multi-layered. The school website lists Mr J. Till as Headteacher, with Mr Chris Seager as Head of School, which typically signals a trust-wide leadership model where the Head of School leads the day-to-day running. A Matrix Academy Trust profile describes Mr James Till as Headteacher across multiple trust schools and notes he has been Headteacher at Turves Green Boys’ School since 2021. In the most recent published inspection report, the named headteacher was Richard Prime, and the report states the headteacher was appointed in September 2022. For parents, the practical takeaway is that the school operates within a clear trust framework, with on-site leadership delivering the daily experience.

Relationships appear to be a strength. The inspection report describes warm, respectful relationships as characteristic of school life, and it notes that pupils feel happy and safe, and value staff support. That combination, firm routines alongside a visible support structure, tends to suit pupils who respond well to consistency and predictable boundaries.

The house structure reinforces this. Pupils are placed into one of four houses, Durham, Exeter, Warwick, or York, and the school uses house competitions and rewards to reinforce the behavioural and learning culture. The school also promotes its STRIVE values, presented as a set of characteristics to guide pupils as learners and citizens.

At GCSE level, the school’s outcomes sit in the middle band nationally. Ranked 1,714th in England and 38th in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance is described best as solid, with pockets of strength and room to grow. Attainment 8 is 47 and Progress 8 is 0.21, indicating pupils make above-average progress from their starting points.

EBacc indicators are more mixed. The average EBacc APS score is 4.15, slightly above the England average of 4.08, while 19.5% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc subjects. Taken together, this often suggests a cohort where progress is supported well, but where take-up and high performance in the full EBacc suite may not be as widespread as in more academically selective or traditionally academic schools.

The school’s curriculum story, as described in the inspection report, is ambitious and well-sequenced from Year 7 through to sixth form, with leaders actively evaluating and refining what is taught and when. This matters because curriculum coherence tends to be a leading indicator of sustained improvement, especially when paired with strong routines and consistent classroom practice.

Sixth form outcomes are more challenging. Ranked 1,850th in England and 35th in Birmingham for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit below England averages overall. In the latest available grade profile, 38% of grades were A* to B, compared with an England average of around 47%; 4% were A* and 6% were A, compared with an England average of around 24% at A* and A combined.

This does not make the sixth form a poor option, but it does suggest that families should focus on course fit and support, rather than assuming a uniformly high A-level grade profile across the board. The advantage is flexibility: the sixth form offers both academic and applied pathways, and publishes clear entry requirements by subject.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level indicators side-by-side across Birmingham schools, which is particularly helpful where pupils are deciding between staying for sixth form and moving to a specialist college.

Curriculum intent is strong, and the inspection report points to a broad, ambitious curriculum with deliberate sequencing and attention to building knowledge over time. The most helpful detail here is the school’s focus on recall and checking what pupils remember, with leaders pushing for consistent classroom routines that identify gaps early and close them quickly.

Where the school is still developing is consistency. The inspection report notes that some teachers do not check for understanding well enough, which can allow gaps in knowledge to persist. For parents, this is an important “watch point” to explore at open events: ask how the school supports staff to align classroom practice and how it ensures pupils who fall behind are identified quickly.

Reading is another priority area. Leaders are establishing opportunities to develop reading and have identified pupils needing additional support, but the inspection report states that phonics teaching for weaker readers had not yet been implemented at the time of the inspection. In a secondary context, that is a meaningful statement because phonics-based intervention can be critical for pupils entering Year 7 with very low reading ages. Families with a child who has struggled with reading should ask what the current approach is, what interventions are used, and how progress is tracked across Key Stage 3.

At sixth form, the structure is unusually transparent. Entry requirements are clearly stated for A-level and BTEC routes, including higher thresholds for subjects such as mathematics, sciences, English, and some humanities. The school also frames its offer through pathways, for example STEM, English and humanities, health and psychology, and business and creative routes, which can help students make a coherent programme rather than picking disconnected subjects.

Where Students Go Next

The school’s sixth form messaging is strongly oriented towards progression, with explicit references to higher education, apprenticeships and training routes. Careers guidance is positioned as a strength, and the inspection report notes that pupils and sixth form students receive unbiased information about next steps and high-quality guidance, including preparation for apprenticeships and university.

Where destinations data is published, it suggests a blended picture. A sixth form prospectus states that approximately one quarter of students progressed to a Russell Group university in 2024. That is a meaningful indicator of aspiration and support, particularly for a comprehensive school serving a broad intake.

For Oxbridge specifically, the available measurement indicates a small but real pipeline: two applications, one offer, and one acceptance in the reported period. In practical terms, this points to a sixth form that can support the highest academic applications where the individual student is well-matched, even if Oxbridge is not a defining feature of the overall destinations picture.

For pupils who are not aiming for highly selective universities, the school’s reported emphasis on employability skills, work experience, and student leadership roles is a useful complement. Sixth form students are also described as supporting younger pupils as reading buddies and organising charitable activity, which can be valuable evidence in personal statements and apprenticeship applications.

Year 7 places are allocated through Birmingham’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the school states an admission number of 130 pupils in Year 7. The school also publishes the key timeline for that entry round: applications open in September 2025, close on 31 October 2025, and offers are released on 01 March 2026 (or the next working day where applicable).

Open events are clearly signposted. For the September 2026 entry cycle, the school published an Open Evening on Thursday 18 September 2025 (4:00pm to 8:00pm) and Open Mornings in late September 2025 (with bookings required). As ever, dates can move year to year, so parents planning ahead should treat this as the most recently published pattern and check the school’s latest events listing for current arrangements.

Appeals information is also published. A recent prospectus states that appeals for Year 7 intake for September 2026 should be lodged by Friday 10 April 2026.

For sixth form entry, admissions are handled directly by the school. The entry requirements are explicit: for A-level study, students need at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and maths, with higher subject-specific thresholds for certain courses; for BTEC routes, the general requirement is four GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and maths, again with course-specific requirements where relevant.

Pastoral support is structured around houses and a wider support system. The inspection report highlights that pupils feel safe and value the support staff provide, and it emphasises that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with safeguarding embedded in the school culture and a strong emphasis on pupils knowing how to report concerns.

Beyond safeguarding, there is evidence of layered support for wellbeing and mental health. The school signposts Kooth as an online counselling and emotional wellbeing platform for young people. A parent guide to pupil support services also describes access to social worker support in school and a mental health professional, positioned as a safe space for students to talk and develop coping strategies.

Student leadership and peer support are part of the model. The school has anti-bullying ambassadors and other ambassador roles that pupils can join from Year 7, and it presents these roles as part of building a supportive, inclusive culture.

Attendance is an explicit improvement focus. The inspection report notes that too many pupils miss school, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, and that leaders are implementing systems to improve regular attendance. For families, the key question is not whether attendance matters, it does everywhere, but how quickly the school can identify patterns, engage parents, and remove barriers so pupils keep up with learning.

Enrichment is one of the school’s clearer strengths, both in breadth and in how it is used to build belonging and purpose. The inspection report references clubs such as Japanese, dance and steel pans, and it highlights participation in Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Combined Cadet Force. The school’s enrichment page reinforces that range, explicitly pointing to maths club, choir, a language lab, badminton, rock band, and a programme of trips.

The published extra-curricular timetable for Autumn Term 2025 gives a useful snapshot of what is actually running. Examples include Japanese Club, Music Tech, Pride Club, Chess Club, School of Rock/Band, Lego Club, Computer Engineering Club, and Maths Challenge, alongside a Combined Cadet Force session and multiple sports clubs. These named clubs matter because they indicate genuine variety, not just sport plus a generic “homework club”.

Performing arts appears to be a lived part of school life, not an occasional add-on. The school references events such as a Christmas concert and a DEC Oscars event, along with after-school dance, drama and music opportunities and peripatetic music tuition for instruments and voice. For pupils who thrive when they have a public goal, a performance, a competition, an event, this kind of calendar can be a significant motivator for attendance and engagement.

Sport and facilities are framed as inclusive. A recent prospectus lists facilities including a multi-purpose sports hall, a dance studio and outdoor table tennis tables. The school messaging stresses that clubs are open to all, regardless of ability, and that teams represent the academy in regional competitions.

The school day is published clearly. Pupils line up at 08.40am, with form time and registration from 08.45am to 09.15am. The main day runs to 3.10pm, and Year 11 students may have an additional intervention period from 3.10pm to 3.55pm.

For travel, the school publishes guidance on bus routes, travel cards, and train timetables, with an explicit note that services can change. Families planning a commute should treat transport as part of the admissions decision and test the journey at the times pupils would actually travel.

• Attendance improvement focus. The most recent inspection highlights that too many pupils miss school, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, which can hold back progress. Families should ask how attendance is tracked, how pastoral teams intervene, and what support is available where there are barriers to regular attendance.

• Reading support for the weakest readers. Leaders are developing reading provision, but the inspection report states phonics teaching for weaker readers had not yet been implemented at the time of inspection. If your child has significant reading gaps, ask what the current intervention model is, and how the school measures impact over a term and a year.

• Consistency of classroom checking. The inspection report notes that some teachers do not consistently check understanding, which can leave gaps unaddressed in some lessons. Parents should explore how the school supports consistent practice and rapid catch-up.

• Sixth form outcomes are mixed. A-level grade profiles sit below England averages overall. For students considering staying on, the most important factor is course fit and support, including whether the chosen pathway aligns with the student’s strengths and intended next step.

This is a structured, values-driven comprehensive with wide enrichment and clear routines, supported by a trust framework and a house-based pastoral model. GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle tier in England, and sixth form outcomes are more variable, with transparent entry requirements and a practical mix of A-level and BTEC routes.

Best suited to families who want a firm culture, clear expectations, and a school that invests in belonging through clubs, leadership opportunities and wider experiences, particularly for pupils who benefit from routine and enjoy purposeful activities such as cadets, Duke of Edinburgh, performing arts, or STEM clubs.