Best secondary schools Birmingham 2021: Sunday Times School Guide reveals top secondary schools in Parent Power survey

The best performing schools in the West Midlands has been revealed by the Sunday Times School Guide 2022 today - both state and independent are given their own ranking lists.

The rankings were released online on Friday and can be read as a supplement with The Sunday Times on Sunday.

What are the best performing secondary schools in Birmingham?

Birmingham dominates the West Midlands educational rankings with seven state and independent schools in the city featured.

The region’s top state and independent schools are from Birmingham.

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Boys (state) and King Edward VI Camp for Girls (independant) recorded tremendous academic results in 2017-2019 - the pre-pandemic period used for this year’s rankings.

The top Birmingham independent school recorded a laudable 92.1% A*-B result rate at A-Levels, which is not as high as Concord College (Shrewsbury) who totalled 96.4%.

However, King Edward VI Camp for Girls outperforms the rest at GCSE level to take the title of best academic performer in the West Midlands.

The boys’ side of the King Edward Foundation are also top at state level, even if they do not outperform their independent counterparts.

The school recorded 87.1% A*-B at A Level and 86% 9-7 at GCSE - enough to push them into the top 10 state secondary schools in the country.

King Edward’s independent establishment for boys also recorded outstanding results that put them third in Parent Power’s rankings of independent schools.

The rankings point out that its bursary scheme, which reduces school fees for one in five boys, is one pillar to its tremendous academic success.

Other Birmingham state secondary schools ranked within the top 20 include:

• King Edward VI Five Ways School (8th)
• King Edward VI Handsworth School (12th)
• King Edward VI Aston School (16th)

The only other independent secondary school to make the top 20 is Edgbaston High School for Girls, which is placed 12th on the ranking list.

How are the rankings determined?

The 29th edition of Parent Power identifies the top performing and achieving schools in the United Kingdom.

As well as being ranked by a school’s pre-pandemic results, Parent Power acts as a way for parents to compare performances of a given school with any other within the same region, local authority or even nationally.

How to see the full rankings?

You can find the full national database on The Sunday Times website here.