Ninestiles, an Academy Review 2026: A large Birmingham academy with structured routines, an admissions assessment, and a strong inclusion offer

This is a big, mixed 11–18 academy in Acocks Green, set up to run at scale while still keeping daily expectations clear. The day is tightly structured, with an early start and well-defined lesson blocks, plus extra time for Year 11.

For families, the key practical point is admissions. Year 7 entry is coordinated with Birmingham City Council, but the academy also requires a separate assessment registration by a published deadline, with an aptitude-style assessment sitting in early autumn.

Ofsted’s November 2024 inspection concluded the academy had taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

Ninestiles runs on routines. For many students, that predictability is a genuine support, particularly in a large school where consistency matters. Behaviour expectations are set at the institutional level and reinforced through a day that is built around punctuality, form time, and clear transitions.

Pastoral framing is unusually explicit. The trust’s “Summit Base Camp” approach sets out a minimum entitlement for learners who need it most, including access to breakfast, uniform and equipment support, hygiene products, revision materials for public examinations, books for reading, and warm spaces before and after the day. The practical implication is that families dealing with financial pressure can expect the school to have a defined mechanism for support, rather than treating hardship as an informal exception.

Leadership is presented as layered. The academy lists an Executive Principal, alongside the Principal, and a wider senior team, signalling a model where operational capacity and consistency are built through multiple senior roles rather than a single figurehead.

For GCSE outcomes, Ninestiles is ranked 2,170th in England and 49th in Birmingham (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

On headline measures, the academy’s Attainment 8 score is 45.8, and Progress 8 is +0.12, indicating above-average progress from students’ starting points. EBacc average point score is 3.92, compared with an England average of 4.08.

A useful way to interpret this profile is “steady and improving, rather than ultra-selective.” The curriculum narrative emphasises ambition, but the outcomes data suggests the main differentiator is not raw exam dominance, it is the extent to which the school can lift progress through structure, attendance, and consistent teaching. Families comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these measures side-by-side against other Birmingham secondaries.

Curriculum design is described as knowledge-rich and rooted in cognitive science, with an emphasis on sequenced learning and recall. In practice, that points to lessons that are planned centrally, delivered with shared routines, and assessed frequently enough to spot gaps early.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority rather than an English-only responsibility. The 2019 inspection described a planned daily time allocation for reading across subjects, which is the kind of small operational decision that can make a material difference to vocabulary and comprehension over five years.

Subject breadth at Key Stage 3 is intentionally wide, then narrows into GCSE pathways at Key Stage 4 with a mixture of academic and applied options. The implication for families is choice and fit: students who thrive on traditional subjects can pursue them, while those who need a more applied route can still build a credible qualification set.

The academy positions itself as post-16 focused as well as GCSE focused. It is part of Summit Learning Trust, and the trust relationship is framed as practical, with shared resources, careers infrastructure, and links to post-16 providers.

Where published destination numbers are limited, the more helpful question for parents is “how the school supports decision-making.” Ninestiles highlights careers education and active engagement with both further and higher education routes, including apprenticeship awareness and technical pathways, alongside more academic routes. This matters because a large comprehensive intake typically includes students aiming for a broad set of post-16 outcomes, and the school’s systems need to serve all of them, not only the top end.

For students who engage with leadership and enrichment pathways, the Summit Learning Trust Army Cadet Force Detachment (Rifles) adds a distinctive strand: leadership, fieldcraft, first aid, and the chance to build recognised qualifications alongside school.

Year 7 admission is built around a published capacity of 300 places. A defined number of places are allocated to a SEND resource base via the local authority, and a further proportion of places are linked to performance in the academy’s admissions assessment. The remainder are offered through oversubscription criteria that include looked-after children, siblings, named feeder primaries, and then distance measurement to the front gate.

For 2026 entry, the academy’s published process required the additional assessment application form by Friday 26 September 2025, with the assessment on Saturday 11 October 2025. This sits alongside the Birmingham City Council coordinated application, which opened 1 September 2025 and closed 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026 in Birmingham’s timetable.

Demand indicators show pressure on places. The latest available admissions figures record 974 applications for 291 offers, which equates to around 3.35 applications per place. Practically, that means families should treat the admissions process as competitive, even before factoring in how distance and priority groups play out in a given year. If you are weighing relocation or relying on proximity, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your distance consistently and compare it with patterns in your target area.

Pastoral support is described in two complementary ways: day-to-day wellbeing culture, and structural support for those who need more. The wellbeing culture is based on students being confident to share concerns, with staff response built into the operating model of the school.

The structural support is clearest in two areas. First is Summit Base Camp, which operationalises a minimum entitlement for learners facing hardship. Second is inclusion provision. The academy has a specially resourced SEND provision focused on cognition and learning, designed for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans, and it is described as operating at capacity. That combination tends to suit families who want a mainstream secondary experience, but with a defined specialist pathway available where it is genuinely needed.

The 2019 graded inspection judged the academy Good and confirmed safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Enrichment is a stated strength, and it is described as broad enough to give students real choice. The 2019 inspection referenced more than 70 clubs, covering areas such as sport, music, art, drama, and debating, alongside trips that extend cultural experience beyond the local area.

What makes Ninestiles more distinctive is the combination of enrichment with structured personal development strands. Examples include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award being positioned as part of a wider programme, plus externally supported clubs such as Japanese club, archery, volunteering, and chess. The implication is that enrichment is not treated as a cosmetic add-on; it is used as a vehicle for attendance, confidence, and wider life skills.

The Army Cadet Force Detachment adds another layer. It is a trust-wide unit based at the academy, with weekly parade nights on Mondays and Thursdays (evening sessions), and it is framed as leadership and skills development rather than purely military interest. For some students, that is a strong fit, particularly those who respond well to rank structure, team responsibility, and practical qualifications.

The academy day expects students on site by 8:30am, with form time from 8:40am to 9:10am, and lessons running through to 3:00pm. Year 11 has an additional period running to 4:00pm.

Ninestiles is in Acocks Green with local rail options including Acocks Green and Spring Road stations, both served by West Midlands Railway. Families should check the best route for their child’s start time, particularly if relying on public transport at peak times.

• Admissions complexity. This is not a single-form process; families must complete the Birmingham coordinated application and also meet the academy’s assessment registration requirements by the published deadline.

• Aptitude-linked places. A defined proportion of places are linked to an assessment process, which may suit some learners but can feel like an added pressure point for others.

• Large-school experience. With a published capacity of around 1,500, the environment can suit students who like scale and choice, but some children prefer a smaller setting with fewer transitions and a tighter social loop.

• SEND resourced provision is specific. The specialist base is described as a cognition-and-learning focused provision; families seeking a different primary area of need should clarify fit early through the EHCP process.

Ninestiles, an Academy is a structured, large-scale Birmingham secondary with a clear operating model: predictable routines, an explicit approach to wellbeing, and a published inclusion pathway that sits alongside mainstream teaching. Best suited to families who value consistency, want a strong pastoral framework, and are comfortable managing an admissions process that includes both local authority coordination and an academy-led assessment component.

Entry is where the work is, not the education that follows.