George Dixon Academy Review 2026: A values-led Birmingham secondary with a strengthening curriculum and a strong sixth form pathway

A weekly musical theme, a visible commitment to equality and diversity, and a clear set of shared expectations shape day-to-day life here. The academy’s published vision leans into social justice and belonging, framed through its DREAM values and a culture of mutual respect between staff and pupils.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. It serves students from Year 7 through Year 13, with sixth form provision described as a distinct strength in formal evaluation.

Leadership is a key context point for families reading the latest official report: the current headship is a co-headteacher model led by Claire Bernard and David Horner, with their appointment shown from 01 September 2025.

The academy’s own language centres on belonging, respect and aspiration. DREAM is used as a unifying shorthand for expectations and values, tied to inclusion, social justice, and pupils being supported to become the best version of themselves. That framing matters because it is not simply branding, it links directly to how the school describes relationships and the wider culture.

External evaluation adds texture to what this feels like in practice. Students move through busy corridors with an organised sense of routine, including a weekly focus on the heritage of a chosen piece of music, used to reinforce learning about difference and shared community. Mixed-age interaction is a visible feature too, with sixth formers and younger students mixing comfortably.

The school’s history is unusually present for a modern academy. The site and name connect back to George Dixon’s education legacy in Birmingham, including his role in developing technical schooling and the later establishment of the George Dixon schools on the Edgbaston site in 1906. For families who value a sense of continuity and civic identity, that is a distinctive strand in the school’s story.

At GCSE, the school is ranked 3,402nd in England and 92nd in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That sits below the England average range in relative terms.

The underlying indicators point to the same broad picture. The Attainment 8 score is 37, and Progress 8 is -0.23, which suggests students, on average, make slightly less progress than peers with similar starting points. EBacc entry and outcomes are a weak spot in the available metrics, with 5.6% achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc measure used here, and an EBacc average point score of 3.12 compared with the England benchmark shown as 4.08.

At A-level, the school is ranked 2,118th in England and 40th in Birmingham for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). The grade distribution provided shows 3.88% at A*, 8.53% at A, and 27.91% at A* to B combined. The England comparators shown are materially higher for top grades, with an A* to A benchmark of 23.6% and an A* to B benchmark of 47.2%.

What this means for parents is straightforward. The school is not currently an outcomes leader on headline measures, but it does have a sixth form picture that looks notably stronger than Key Stage 4, and there is credible evidence of curriculum work designed to improve depth of learning over time.

The curriculum has been redesigned with clearer sequencing, and teachers are described as being confident in what knowledge should be taught, and in what order. That matters most in Key Stage 3, where the aim is to build secure foundations rather than patching gaps late. In many lessons, teachers’ subject knowledge is reported as strong, and students are increasingly using subject vocabulary to tackle more complex ideas.

Two priority improvement areas are worth understanding in plain terms. First, assessment consistency is not yet reliable enough across classrooms, meaning misconceptions are not always identified early, and some students move on before they are secure. Second, reading support is strengthening in Key Stage 3, but older students who still have reading gaps are not always getting effective catch-up support, which then limits access across the wider curriculum.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is a relative strength in the formal picture. Identification processes have been strengthened, and adaptations are increasingly planned into teaching rather than bolted on later.

For the 2023/24 leaver cohort (49 students), 90% progressed to university. Apprenticeships and employment are both recorded at 2%. That profile suggests sixth formers generally move on into higher education routes, with a smaller number taking work-based pathways.

The sixth form’s own description adds useful, practical context: students study A-levels and Level 3 vocational qualifications, and the school points to offers from universities including Manchester, Birmingham, Queen Mary (University of London), Liverpool and Leeds. The sixth form is described as operating from a purpose-built block with a common room, study space and teaching rooms, with an emphasis on independent study habits and enrichment such as university visits, work experience and professional talks.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

applications are handled through Birmingham’s coordinated admissions process, rather than directly by the school for the formal offer. The statutory closing date shown for secondary transfer is 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 02 March 2026 (national offer day timing as shown for Birmingham).

The school’s own Year 7 admissions area also points families to guided tours and includes an admissions form for families seeking support with an application for September 2026 entry. For many families, the practical next step is to attend a tour, then align preferences carefully with Birmingham’s process and deadlines.

Sixth form entry

admission is framed as being based on a student’s Level 2 learner profile and meeting subject-specific entry requirements. As of the current school website wording, there are no fixed sixth form open days listed, but prospective external Year 11 students are invited to arrange a tour and discussion with sixth form leaders. The school also indicates that its online application form for 2026 entry is “coming soon”, which implies families should check for the live application window rather than assume a standard date.

A practical tip when shortlisting is to use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature to track deadlines, tour dates, and the documents you will want to compare across local options.

The published vision places relationships and mutual respect at the centre of the school community, and that is consistent with the external picture of respectful day-to-day interactions and generally positive conduct in lessons and social time.

Student voice is treated as more than a formality in the reported experience, with students describing opportunities to influence change and contribute to school life, including in the sixth form.

For families evaluating safeguarding culture, the most recent inspection materials confirm that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Two named strands stand out because they are specific and well-described.

Debate Mate

this is presented as a structured debating programme for students in Years 7 to 10, with mentors linked to Russell Group universities and opportunities to compete in city-wide events. The school also publishes practical detail, including the weekly in-school slot (Thursday, 3.20pm to 4.30pm) and the broader competition windows.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

the programme is explicitly signposted as part of the wider offer, and it sits alongside other enrichment routes rather than being treated as a niche add-on.

Reading and independent learning are also given visible infrastructure through the Learning Resource Centre. The school describes initiatives such as Year 7 form “book boxes” and milestone-based recognition, which links directly to the wider priority around literacy and access to the curriculum.

The published events calendar also suggests a steady rhythm of enrichment beyond lessons, including UK Maths Team challenges, careers-linked events, geography visits to the Jewellery Quarter, and sixth form activities linked to Lessons from Auschwitz.

The school day is published as starting at 8.40am. Students can enter from 8.00am, including use of the Learning Resource Centre before the main start, and breakfast club is referenced for early arrivals. Break and lunch timings are also set out in the Year 7 admissions information (break 10.50am to 11.10am; lunch 1.10pm to 1.50pm).

Term dates for the 2025 to 2026 academic year are published, including a summer term ending on 20 July 2026.

For travel planning, the school’s Edgbaston location works best when families map actual door-to-door journey times at the times students will travel. Parents comparing options can use the FindMySchool Map Search tool to assess practical commutes consistently across shortlisted schools.

• Outcomes are a current constraint at Key Stage 4. The school’s FindMySchool GCSE ranking sits below the England average range, and Progress 8 is negative, so families should ask specifically how curriculum changes are being translated into improved GCSE performance.

• Assessment consistency is still developing. The formal improvement priorities point to uneven identification of misconceptions, which can create gaps if not addressed early.

• Reading gaps for older students matter across subjects. Where Key Stage 4 students do not read well enough, access to the wider curriculum suffers, so it is reasonable to ask what targeted literacy support looks like for Year 10 and Year 11.

• Sixth form is a comparative strength, but it is not large. The most recent inspection details show 91 students recorded in sixth form at that time, which can be positive for support, but may limit breadth in some subjects depending on demand.

George Dixon Academy is a values-forward Birmingham secondary that is putting real weight behind curriculum ambition, inclusion and student voice. The sixth form pathway looks stronger than the GCSE picture, with high progression to university and a clear emphasis on independent study and enrichment.

Best suited to families who want a culturally outward-looking school with a strong post-16 route and who are prepared to engage actively with how improvement work is being turned into stronger GCSE outcomes.