Hall Green School Review 2026, a calm, ambitious 11 to 16 academy with improving outcomes

A curriculum that makes room for three Shakespeare texts, plus French and Spanish from Year 7, signals a school that wants breadth as well as results. The latest inspection also paints a clear picture of day to day experience: pupils say they feel safe, behaviour is generally calm, and leadership roles are visible across year groups.

Hall Green School is a mixed 11 to 16 academy in Hall Green, south Birmingham. The current headteacher is Karen Slater, with the school’s governance documentation showing an appointment date of 01 January 2021.

Performance sits close to the England mainstream middle band rather than the selective end of the market. Ranked 1,930th in England and 42nd in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it aligns with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Entry is competitive, and families should assume oversubscription unless Birmingham’s admissions data shifts materially in future cycles.

The strongest thread running through official evidence is purposeful calm. Pupils report enjoying their learning, feeling safe, and knowing there is an adult who will listen. Behaviour and attitudes are described as positive, with respectful relationships the norm, and a generally orderly environment in lessons and around the site.

The school’s stated values, learning with compassion, ambition, responsibility and excellence, are not presented as abstract branding. They are referenced directly in the inspection narrative as part of the culture pupils are expected to live up to. Leadership roles also appear to be a meaningful part of school life, with structures such as year group ambassadors and a senior pupil leadership team highlighted as motivating for students who want responsibility early.

Hall Green’s context matters here. The curriculum and wider life are described as responsive to a diverse community, with explicit recognition of pupils’ varied backgrounds and faiths. The inspection also notes external recognition for work supporting pupils to take part in physical education during Ramadan, a useful indicator that inclusion is approached practically rather than symbolically.

Hall Green’s GCSE performance measures point to broadly typical outcomes for England, with some indicators slightly above average. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 47.1 and its Progress 8 score is 0.08, which indicates students make slightly above average progress from their starting points across eight subjects. EBacc entry and outcomes are more mixed: the average EBacc APS is 4.18, and 13% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc.

Ranked 1,930th in England and 42nd in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), Hall Green sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). For families comparing local options, the most helpful approach is to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view outcomes alongside nearby schools that share similar intakes and admissions constraints.

The curriculum is described as ambitious and consciously broad. A concrete example is English, where pupils can study three Shakespeare texts rather than the required two, a choice that typically increases reading load and the sophistication of classroom discussion. Modern languages begin early, with French and Spanish offered from Year 7, and subjects such as art and business attracting strong uptake at GCSE.

Support is framed as targeted rather than generic. Evidence points to structured reading catch up for pupils who need it, careful identification of special educational needs and/or disabilities, and curriculum adaptation that aims to keep pupils working towards the same lesson objectives as their peers. Support for pupils who speak English as an additional language is also highlighted as systematic.

The most important development point is consistency, especially in Key Stage 3. Where assessment practice is not applied consistently, gaps can be missed and learning does not build as securely as it should. For parents, that translates into a straightforward question to ask on a visit: how does the school check understanding in Years 7 to 9, and how quickly does it intervene when misconceptions appear.

With no sixth form, Hall Green is primarily judged on the quality of its Key Stage 4 outcomes and the strength of its transition into post 16 pathways elsewhere. The school’s approach to aspirations is visible in small but telling choices, such as collecting profiles of former pupils as part of a 60 year anniversary project to broaden pupils’ sense of future careers.

In practice, families should expect a spread of post 16 destinations typical for Birmingham, including sixth forms attached to 11 to 18 schools, sixth form colleges, and further education colleges. The most useful step is to align GCSE option choices with likely post 16 routes early, particularly where a student may want a technical pathway or a specific Level 3 course that has subject prerequisites.

For Year 7 entry, applications are coordinated by Birmingham City Council rather than handled solely by the school. For September 2026 entry, Birmingham’s published timetable includes a closing date of 31 October 2025 and National Offer Day on 02 March 2026, with an appeals deadline shown as 13 April 2026.

Demand is the headline. The available admissions data indicates oversubscription, with a recent ratio equivalent to 7.88 applications per place, signalling that admission is competitive and families should plan on the basis that allocation rules will matter. If you are relying on distance based priority, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise distance, and treat any historic patterns as indicative only.

The school’s admissions information also makes clear that Birmingham City Council administers appeals, which is a practical detail worth knowing if you are considering that route.

The strongest pastoral indicators are safety, access to trusted adults, and an orderly day. Pupils describe feeling safe and supported, and the safeguarding arrangements are reported as effective.

The school is also described as responsive to pupils’ wellbeing, with structures that encourage participation and belonging. That includes leadership roles, broad club access, and a personal development programme intended to give pupils experiences beyond lessons.

Where families should pay attention is consistency outside standard lessons. Behaviour expectations are described as generally strong, but variability is flagged in some personal development sessions and when pupils are moving around the school. For parents of children who need very predictable routines, this is a sensible point to probe in conversations with staff.

Extracurricular life is not framed as a bolt on. The inspection evidence explicitly points to a wide array of academic and sporting clubs, with inclusive examples such as wheelchair basketball.

Several specific options are named in official documentation, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, journalism and debate club, chess, and kickboxing. These are the kind of activities that can reshape a pupil’s school experience, particularly for children who are more motivated by identity and belonging than by grades alone.

Sport appears to have both participation and pathway elements. The physical education page references links to local clubs and involvement in initiatives such as Chance to Shine and the Barclays Girls Football School Partnership, and it also lists disability sport options such as boccia alongside broader activities. For music, the school describes facilities including practice rooms and ensembles such as a school band and a keyboard club, which is useful for pupils who want structured rehearsal space rather than informal lunchtime provision only.

The published timetable shows the day beginning with morning movement time at 8:40am, followed by form time, five main periods, and a later Period 6 after 3:25pm. That final slot typically supports interventions, enrichment, and clubs.

Term dates are published for the school year 2025 to 2026, which is helpful for working families planning childcare and travel.

Because this is a secondary school, wraparound childcare is not always offered in the same way as primary provision. The website does not clearly set out a paid breakfast club or after school childcare model in the way many primary schools do, so families should verify current arrangements, especially if an older sibling is expected to supervise younger children at pick up.

• Competition for places. The admissions data indicates oversubscription, with a recent application to place ratio equivalent to 7.88 per place. Families should understand Birmingham’s allocation rules early and plan a realistic range of preferences.

• Consistency of assessment in Key Stage 3. Assessment practice is not described as consistent across the school, which can mean gaps are not always picked up as early as they should be. Ask how Years 7 to 9 learning is checked and how quickly support is triggered.

• Punctuality and movement between lessons. Some pupils arriving late, and a lack of urgency moving to lessons, are identified as leading to missed learning. If your child struggles with organisation or timekeeping, this becomes a key habit to build from the start of Year 7.

• Behaviour consistency outside standard lessons. Variability is flagged in delivery of some personal development content and in behaviour management during those sessions and movement time. Families who want very uniform routines should ask how expectations are reinforced across all parts of the week.

Hall Green School offers a stable, generally calm secondary experience with a broad curriculum and a clear emphasis on inclusion and participation. Academic outcomes sit around the England mainstream middle band rather than the elite end, but progress measures suggest students can do slightly better than expected from their starting points. It best suits families looking for a mixed, community focused 11 to 16 school where enrichment, leadership roles, and an inclusive sports offer are taken seriously. The main constraint is admission, competition for places is the limiting factor.