Oversubscription in Birmingham Primary Schools: The hardest schools to get your children into

The decision on what primary school to send your children to is always stressful and oversubscription limits can make this worse

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Picking a primary school to send your children to can feel like such a big life decision and one that can keep you up at night.

Applications for primary schools begin in September before they close on January 15th.

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Although some schools in Birmingham were able to enrol all students that applied last year, many have had several years where they have had to create a small catchment area.

Taking a look at data provided by Birmingham City Council, schools that have had a smaller intake appear to be harder to get children into.

This is due to the smaller number of places that the school can accept and therefore many of them have a catchment area in which pupils can attend.

A catchment area is the distance in which pupils can live near a school to ensure they have a higher chance of being accepted for a place.

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There are other considerations to children being considered for oversubscribed such as whether they have a sibling at the school and in some cases their religious beliefs.

Religious schools in the area will have some criteria to enrol pupils such as whether they have been baptised.

Looking at the data, Cromwell Junior and Nursery School, in Nechells, is the hardest to get your child into, with a catchment area of just 161 metres last year.

The second hardest school to get into is Colebourne Primary, in Hodge Hill, that has an admissions limit of 60 pupils.

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Let’s take a look at the hardest primary schools to get children into and the catchment restrictions they’ve had for the last three years.

For context 1 mile is the equivalent to 1609 metres.

Schools with a smaller intake are among the majority of schools in Birmingham with oversubscriptionSchools with a smaller intake are among the majority of schools in Birmingham with oversubscription
Schools with a smaller intake are among the majority of schools in Birmingham with oversubscription

Hardest primary schools to get into

Cromwell Junior and Nursery (NC), Nelchells - 30 admissions

2021 - 161 metres

2020 - 309 metres

2019 - 230 metres

Colebourne Primary, Hodge Hill - 60 admissions

2021 - 306 metres

2020 - 540 metres

2019 - 623 metres

Penns Primary, Sutton Coldfield - 30 admissions

2021 - 439 metres

2020 - 1105 metres

2019 - 533 metres

Brookvale Primary, Erdington - 30 admissions

2021 - 572 metres

2020 - 938 metres

2019 - 565 metres

Little Sutton Primary, Sutton Coldfield - 60 admissions

2021 - 600 metres

2020 - 529 metres

2019 - 618 metres

Canterbury Cross Primary (NC), Handsworth - 60 admissions

2021 - 611 metres

2020 - 649 metres

2019 - 535 metres

Topcliffe Primary, Castle Vale - 30 admissions

2021 - 648 metres

2020 - 684 metres

2019 - 856 metres

Acocks Green Primary - 60 admissions

Taking only children within half a mile for the last 3 years

2021 - 650 metres

2020 - 649 metres

2019 - 656 metres

Shirestone Academy, Tile Cross - 30 admissions

2021 - 726 metres

2020 - 588 metres

2019 - 483 metres

Gunter Primary (NC), Erdington - 30 admissions

2021 - 736 metres

2020 - 2550 metres

2019 - 1207 metres

Boldmere Infant & Nursery (NC) - 90 admissions

2021 - 744 metres

2020 - 585 metres

2019 - 722 metres

Lozells Junior, Infant and Nursery - 60 admissions

2021 - 779 metres

2020 - 425 metres

2019 - 399 metres

Chilcote Primary, Hall Green - 60 admissions

2021 - 780 metres (outside catchment area)

2020 - 512 metres (outside catchment area)

2019 - 414 metres (has to have sibling in school, outside catchment area)

Wylde Green Primary - 60 admissions

2021 - 807 metres

2020 - 695 metres

2019 - 745 metres

Quinton Church Primary - 30 admissions

2021 - 818 metres

2020 - 2010 metres

2019 - 722 metres

Bournville Village Primary - 90 admissions

(Outside catchment area)

2021 - 821 metres

2020 - 1266 metres

2019 - 1461 metres (inside catchment area)

Jervoise School (NC), Weoley Castle - 30 admissions

2021 - 833 metres

2020 - 797 metres

2019 - 448 metres

West Heath Primary - 60 admissions

2021 - 884 metres

2020 - 711 metres

2019 - 1003 metres

Four Oaks Primary (NC) - 60 admissions

2021 - 906 metres

2020 - 425 metres

2019 - 645 metres

Whitehouse Common Primary, Sutton Coldfield - 60 admissions

2021 - 946 metres

2020 - 1324 metres

2019 - 2303 metres

Maney Hill Primary, Sutton Coldfield - 60 admissions

2021 - 1146 metres

2020 - 972 metres

2019 - 1191 metres

Colemore Infant and Nursery, Kings Heath - 120 admissions

2021 - 1168 metres

2020 - 923 metres

2019 - 1805 metres

Woodthorpe Junior and Infant, Kings Heath - 30 admissions

2021 - 1190 metres

2020 - 392 metres

2019 - 538 metres

Hall Green Infant (NC) - 120 admissions

2021 - 1260 metres (outside catchment)

2020 - 1486 metres (outside catchment)

2019 - 1657 metres (outside catchment)

Ward End Primary - 120 admissions

2021 - 1447 metres

2020 - 2194 metres

2019 - 1731 metres

Chad Vale Primary, Harborne - 60 admissions

2021 - 1529 metres

2020 - 1643 metres

2019 - 1730 metres

Lyndon Green Infant School, Sheldon - 90 admissions

2021 - 1607 metres

2020 - 1032 metres

2019 - 1342 metres

Featherstone Primary, Erdington - 60 admissions

2021 - 1611 metres

2020 - 817 metres

2019 - 1049 metres

Marsh Hill Primary, Primary - 60 admissions

2021 - 1622 metres

2020 - 960 metres

2019 - 809 metres

Harborne Primary - 120 admissions

2021 - 1435 metres

2020 - 1301 metres

2019 - 1842 metres

Barr View Primary & Nursery Academy (NC), Great Barr - 60 admissions

2021 - 1984 metres

2020 - 1762 metres

2019 - 1811 metres

New Oscott Primary (NC) - 90 admissions

2021 - 1902 metres

2020 - 1922 metres

2019 - 1807 metres

Walmley Infant - 90 admissions

2021 - 1935 metres

2020 - 2378 metres

2019 - 1404 metres

Kings Norton Primary - 60 admissions

2021 - 1995 metres

2020 - 1499 metres

2019 - 1623 metres

Stanville Primary, Sheldon - 30 admissions

2021 - 2117 metres

2020 - 442 metres

2019 - 979 metres

Moor Hall Primary, Four Oaks - 30 admissions

2021 - 2257 metres

2020 - 1629 metres

2019 - 2366 metres

Oasis Academy Hobmoor, Yardley - 60 admissions

2021 - 2492 metres

2020 - 1016 metres

2019 - 813 metres

Orchards Primary Academy, Northfield - 30 admissions

2021 - 2695 metres

2020 - 917 metres

2019 - 929 metres

Cherry Orchard Primary, Stirchley - 60 admissions

2021 - 2718 metres

2020 - 580 metres

2019 - 1162 metres

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Merritts Brook Primary E-Act Academy (NC), Northfield - 30 admissions

2021 - 3091 metres

2020 - 501metres

2019 - 1405 metres

Heathfield Primary (NC), Handsworth - 60 admissions

2021 - 5933 metres

2020 - 695 metres

2019 - 436 metres

Greenholm Primary School, Great Barr - 90 admissions

2021 - 7809 metres

2020 - 1279 metres

2019 - 2061 metres

Story Wood School and Children’s Centre, Kingst - 30 admissions

2021 - 9761 metres

2020 - 403 metres

2019 - 610 metres

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