Bishop Walsh Catholic School
Sutton Coldfield, B76 1QT · Birmingham · secondary school
Check the area around this school
20th of 88 secondary schools in Birmingham we can score, 89 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to the 595 schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 5.8/10 among them, against 8.0/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 57.6 · 78 | 30% | 2.34 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.41 · 80 | 25% | 1.99 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 54.8 · 84 | 10% | 0.84 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Bishop Walsh Catholic School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 64.5% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 56.0, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.41 in 2023/24, indicating better progress than pupils nationally starting from the same place. Ofsted rated the school Good in January 2025. Narrow the comparison to the schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 6.6 out of 10 among them, against 8.4 out of 10 nationally.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils participate in Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and microsports. Trips include a Climate Conference, Black Country Living Museum, Normandy residential, National Manufacturing Day, and a Commissioning Mass at New Oscott College.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,076 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,000. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
What specific support is available for pupils aiming to improve their Progress 8 scores? How are the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award stages integrated into the weekly timetable?
What Ofsted said about Bishop Walsh Catholic School
Overview
Bishop Walsh Catholic School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The report describes a school with a “caring community” where pupils are “rightly proud” and behave well due to high expectations rooted in the school’s values. Leaders have driven significant improvement, particularly in curriculum development, resulting in strong outcomes for most pupils.
Strengths
- The curriculum is “broad and ambitious” with “precisely sequenced” content that enables pupils to build depth of learning from Year 7 to Year 13.
- Staff use “expert subject knowledge” to explain new learning clearly and are adept at identifying and addressing misconceptions promptly.
- Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is “strong,” with teachers making helpful adaptations based on precise “pupil profiles.”
- The “SAINT” programme for character development is “excellent,” encouraging meaningful personal reflection and social responsibility.
- Attendance is now higher than national averages, and the number of suspensions has reduced following close work with families.
Areas to improve
- The curriculum is not consistently implemented to the same high standard across the school, meaning some pupils do not learn in the same depth as others.
- Staff lack a precise enough understanding of how to support disadvantaged pupils, resulting in lower achievement and higher absence rates for this group compared to their peers.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 54.9 |
| 2024/25 | 56.0 |
| 2025/26 | 54.8 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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