Small Heath Leadership Academy Review 2026: Leadership specialism with clear routines and above-average progress

Leadership is not treated as a bolt-on here. It is built into the identity of the school through a published leadership specialism and a culture shaped around the STAR values of Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect.

Academically, the headline picture is one of steady, mainstream performance with a strong progress measure. An Attainment 8 score of 45.4 sits alongside a Progress 8 score of +0.42, a combination that suggests many students are moving forward well from their starting points.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. The main practical question for many families is admission. Demand data indicates oversubscription, with 846 applications recorded for 237 offers in the most recent cycle captured in official applications data.

Leadership is currently under Yasmin Manzoor, who took up the principal role from 01 September 2025.

The tone is purposeful, with routines and expectations doing much of the heavy lifting. The Ofsted inspection noted clear, consistent routines in lessons and consistent support for movement around the school and social times, which is usually a marker of calm operational control in a busy urban setting.

The school’s own framing centres on STAR values and leadership development. In practice, that tends to show up in the availability of defined student leadership roles, including an “Academy Leaders” model that places emphasis on service to communities and character development.

Diversity is part of the school’s stated and externally-observed narrative. Pupils told inspectors that diversity is celebrated, and the report describes peer support such as pupil mentors helping new pupils with English as an additional language to integrate.

A final, distinctive element is that the school has a resourced provision for hearing difficulties (described in the inspection report as a Hearing Resource Centre). This is not a whole-school specialist setting, but it is a notable strand of specialist support within a mainstream secondary.

The core GCSE outcomes picture is best read through a combination of attainment, progress, and local context.

Ranking context (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

Ranked 2,111th in England and 47th in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes. This places performance broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), rather than at the very top end.

Attainment and progress

• Attainment 8: 45.4

• Progress 8: +0.42

• EBacc average point score: 4.06

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in EBacc: 13.5%

For parents, the progress score matters because it speaks to learning gain, not only raw outcomes. A positive Progress 8 score indicates that students, on average, are achieving better GCSE outcomes than pupils nationally with similar prior attainment. In other words, this is a school that appears to add value for many students, even if it is not positioned as an “exam results first” outlier.

Sixth form results data is not presented in the same granular way in the readily accessible published materials surfaced in this research set. In practice, families weighing post-16 should place extra emphasis on subject fit, entry requirements for chosen courses, and the quality of academic support structures described in the school’s published materials.

The school’s curriculum intent is framed around sequenced learning and strong routines. The inspection report describes a well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects, with clearly identified knowledge that teachers use to plan learning. It also notes a structured approach at the start of lessons to help pupils recall prior learning.

The improvement focus is also clear. The report identifies inconsistency in how teachers use checks on learning to adapt teaching, and it flags that pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to deepen and extend knowledge, which can affect long-term retention.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority. The inspection report refers to a school reading programme for all pupils, targeted identification for pupils at early stages of reading, and the implementation of a new phonics scheme to accelerate progress.

For older students, the sixth form proposition described in published materials places emphasis on weekly assessment, academic support tutorials, and structured monitoring, which is typically helpful for students who benefit from frequent feedback and clear accountability.

Where Students Go Next

This is an 11 to 18 school, so “next steps” has two meanings: progression into sixth form and progression beyond Year 13.

Year 11 to sixth form

The presence of an in-house sixth form means many students can continue without a change of setting, which often supports continuity in teaching approaches and pastoral relationships. Where this works best is for students who benefit from predictable routines and staff who already understand their learning profile.

Beyond sixth form

The school does not publish a simple, headline destinations dashboard in the sources captured here. That does not mean outcomes are weak, only that families should ask direct questions about typical pathways, subject-specific progression (for example, STEM routes, health and social care, or sport pathways), and how careers guidance is tailored. The inspection report describes links with universities and employer visits designed to increase awareness of options beyond school.

A practical way to approach this as a parent is to ask for examples by subject area. For instance, what the school typically sees for students taking A-level sciences or vocational sport qualifications, and what support is in place for applications, interviews, or apprenticeships preparation.

For Year 7, admissions are coordinated by Birmingham City Council under the city’s secondary admissions process. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 01 September 2025 and the statutory closing date was 31 October 2025. National Offer Day is 02 March 2026.

The school is oversubscribed based on demand indicators, with 846 applications recorded for 237 offers in the most recent admissions cycle captured in the official data used here.

The school’s own admissions area references published admission arrangements, in-year applications, and waiting list information.

Open events matter because they are often where families get the clearest view on routines, behaviour expectations, and the sixth form offer. The school advertises open evenings and also references a virtual open tour. Where exact dates are not yet published for the next cycle, open evenings typically run in early autumn, and it is sensible to check the school’s admissions information page nearer the time.

If you are comparing options across Birmingham, the FindMySchoolMap Search is useful for understanding travel practicality and for shortlisting schools that fit your daily route patterns, especially when distance criteria are not the only factor shaping family choice.

Safeguarding practice is described as effective in the most recent inspection report, with experienced safeguarding leaders, staff training, and appropriate referral practices for complex cases.

Beyond safeguarding, the pastoral picture is closely linked to consistent routines and clear expectations. The inspection report describes behaviour being managed well through consistent routines, with pupils understanding expectations and consequences.

Support for additional needs includes identification of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, support plans, and review work to improve the usefulness of some plans for classroom teachers. The presence of the Hearing Resource Centre is also a concrete example of targeted provision within the mainstream setting.

The enrichment offer is broad enough to reflect the school’s leadership focus, but it is also presented as an area where students themselves have asked for more. The inspection report notes that some pupils would like additional extracurricular clubs to broaden activity choice.

Where the school is particularly distinctive is the leadership pathway through cadets. The Combined Cadet Force is framed as a leadership development route focused on initiative, independence and responsibility, and the school has published materials linked to RAF affiliation and cadet activities.

On the creative side, music enrichment is spelled out with specific offers including choir and a music band, plus drumming activities. This is helpful for students who want an identity-building activity alongside academic study, and for families looking for structured after-school engagement.

There is also evidence of a structured clubs timetable that includes activities such as Cross Stitching Club and Chess Club (library-based). These are small details, but they matter because they signal provision for different personalities, not only the most visibly sporty students.

Sport remains a mainstream pillar, with references to enrichment clubs including cricket and football within PE.

For parents who like to compare enrichment across local schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can help you place GCSE outcomes and progress alongside the broader offer, rather than relying on reputation alone.

The published academy day summary indicates a standard day running 08:30 to 15:30, with an earlier finish at 13:00 on a staff professional development pattern day.

Travel is workable by public transport. The school’s travel information references the Inner Circle 8C bus route and identifies Small Heath Train Station as part of the public transport picture.

• Competition for places: Demand indicators point to oversubscription, with 846 applications recorded for 237 offers. This tends to raise the importance of application accuracy and realistic backup choices.

• Consistency in classroom checks: External evaluation identified that checks on learning are not used consistently enough to address gaps quickly, which can matter for students who need rapid correction and frequent reteaching.

• Stretch and retention: The same report highlights that opportunities to deepen and extend learning are not always embedded, which can affect long-term retention for higher-attaining students if not addressed.

• Extracurricular breadth: Some pupils report wanting more club options. Families for whom after-school enrichment is a decisive factor should look carefully at the current timetable and what is available by year group.

Small Heath Leadership Academy is best understood as a structured, values-led Birmingham secondary with a clear leadership specialism and a progress measure that suggests many students do well from their starting points. Its strengths are routines, reading focus, and leadership opportunities such as cadets, backed by a behaviour culture built around consistency.

Who it suits: families who value clear expectations, leadership development, and a school experience where character and service are treated as part of the core offer, not a side project. The main challenge is navigating competition for places and ensuring that the curriculum stretch and extracurricular breadth align with your child’s needs and interests.