Heritage Academy Review 2026, Small, academically ambitious boys’ secondary in Birmingham

A compact 11 to 16 boys’ day school that sets out to combine a full GCSE curriculum with an Islamic ethos and a strong emphasis on character. The scale is a defining feature, with a published capacity of 100, which tends to suit families who value a close-knit setting and clear routines.

Ofsted’s standard inspection in October 2023 judged the school Outstanding across all graded areas and confirmed that the independent school standards are met.

The school’s public-facing messaging places equal weight on academic ambition, personal discipline, and values-led conduct. This shows up most clearly in the way expectations are framed, both around learning and behaviour. The latest inspection describes a culture where pupils feel safe and supported, alongside consistently high behavioural standards.

Religious education is not treated as an add-on. The curriculum overview positions Islamic Studies, Arabic, worship, and Qur’an recitation as central elements, taught alongside the mainstream academic subjects. For families seeking a setting that reinforces faith alongside a conventional secondary timetable, that integration is likely to feel coherent rather than compartmentalised.

The small roll can create a very particular social dynamic. On the plus side, it often supports fast identification of gaps, quick pastoral escalation, and consistent staff messaging. The trade-off is that friendship groups and activity groups are naturally narrower than at large Birmingham secondaries. Families who want very broad peer-group variety may prefer a bigger cohort environment.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes table, Heritage Academy is ranked 55th in England and 4th in Birmingham (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This sits in the elite tier, placing it in the top 2% of schools in England.

Attainment 8 is recorded as 78.4, which indicates very high average GCSE outcomes across a pupil’s best eight qualifications. The school’s EBacc profile is also unusually strong with 100% achieving grades 5 or above across EBacc. The average EBacc points score is 7.75. (These are the most recent figures available in the provided dataset.)

For parents comparing options locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you line up these measures against nearby Birmingham schools without having to cross-reference multiple websites.

The published curriculum outline emphasises breadth at Key Stage 3, listing discrete sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Computer Science, English Language and Literature, and humanities, alongside Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Arabic, worship, and arts subjects.

A key strength, according to the latest inspection narrative, is sequencing and subject expertise. Teaching is described as logically ordered, building new knowledge on prior learning, with reading positioned as a top priority across the school.

At Key Stage 4, the school states that students start GCSE courses in 12 subjects. For a small school, that is a meaningful commitment to curricular range, and it is likely to appeal to families who want both traditional academic options and an EBacc-weighted pathway.

Heritage Academy finishes at GCSE, so the next step is the post-16 landscape rather than an internal sixth form. The school’s careers and guidance signposting highlights college and sixth form open days and directs families towards mainstream careers services and planning tools.

In practice, most families will be weighing three routes after Year 11: a sixth form (school-based or sixth form college), a further education college offering A-levels or vocational programmes, or an apprenticeship pathway. What matters most is aligning GCSE subject choices, predicted grades, and the student’s preferred learning style early enough that applications and interviews do not become last-minute.

If your shortlist includes post-16 settings with tight entry requirements, it is worth asking at open events how they treat GCSE resits, how they set A-level pathways, and what support is offered for competitive courses such as medicine, dentistry, and engineering.

Admissions are handled directly by the school rather than through Birmingham’s coordinated Year 7 process. The school states that admissions begin in the autumn term prior to entry, while also indicating that in-year admissions may be possible if places are available.

The published process starts with contacting the school to request a meeting with the headteacher and a visit, followed by submission of an application form with supporting items such as photographs.

A practical point for late deciders is that the school notes it does not normally take students into Years 10 and 11. That is a common stance for small GCSE settings because course choices and controlled assessment trajectories can make mid-course transitions difficult.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the most recent inspection, and the wider narrative points to consistent routines, strong adult oversight, and pupils reporting that bullying is not a feature of their day-to-day experience.

The same source highlights a strong focus on respect and tolerance, including structured teaching about world religions and difference, which is important context for a faith-ethos school operating in a diverse city.

For families, the key practical pastoral questions to explore are how the school supports students who join mid-phase (for example, late Key Stage 3), what academic interventions look like in a small cohort, and how the school works with parents when expectations are not met.

The curriculum page gives unusually concrete examples of after-school enrichment for a school of this size. Listed clubs have included Archery, Wrestling, Chess, Golf, Skiing, DIY, Life Skills, Football, Cricket, Reading, and Nasheeds.

That specificity matters because it shows how the school tries to broaden experiences beyond exam courses. Archery and skiing, for example, usually require external venues and careful planning, which can be a good proxy for organisational ambition. The “life skills” framing also suggests a deliberate focus on independence and practical competence, which can be particularly valuable for Year 10 and 11 students preparing for post-16 transitions.

Fees are published by year group. Core fees are listed as £5,985 plus VAT for Years 7 and 8, £6,495 plus VAT for Year 9, and £6,985 plus VAT for Years 10 and 11. Exam entry fees are charged separately.

The most recent inspection report also records annual day fees in the £5,985 to £6,900 range, which is consistent with the school’s current published structure.

The school describes its fee-setting approach as aiming to keep fees at the lowest sustainable level. Specific bursary or scholarship percentages are not published in the sources reviewed, so families seeking financial assistance should ask what support exists and what evidence is required.

The published term-dates document for the 2025 to 2026 academic year states a school day running from 8:00am to 3:35pm.

As a small day school, the practicalities that tend to affect families most are the morning run, after-school commitments, and transport resilience. The school is on Moseley Road in Birmingham, so most families will want to map realistic travel times at peak hours rather than relying on off-peak estimates. Wraparound care is not detailed in the sources reviewed, so families who need early drop-off or late collection should ask directly what is available and whether it runs daily or only on certain days.

• Very small scale. A capacity of 100 can be a real strength for oversight and consistency, but it also means fewer peer-group permutations and fewer “niche” subject or activity groupings.

• No sixth form. Post-16 progression planning needs to start early, particularly for selective sixth forms and competitive vocational pathways, because there is no internal Year 12 route.

• Late entry limits. The school says it does not normally admit students into Years 10 and 11, which can constrain flexibility for families who expect to move during GCSE years.

• Fees plus VAT, and extras. Fees are published plus VAT, and exam entry fees are separate; families should budget beyond tuition for the full GCSE cost picture.

Heritage Academy is best understood as a small, tightly structured GCSE school with a clearly integrated Islamic ethos and an unusually strong outcomes profile in the provided dataset. It suits families who want high expectations, consistent routines, and a setting where staff can keep close track of individual progress. The main decision points are whether a very small cohort environment fits your child socially, and whether you are comfortable planning an external post-16 move after Year 11.