School Admission Appeals

Contested schools in Birmingham

These are the Birmingham schools that turned first-choice families away in at least one of the last three years — either because more families named them first than they had places, or because they refused families who named them first anyway. Figures shown are for 2026/27. Demand is not a forecast: an oversubscribed school turns more families away, which is not the same as their appeals succeeding more often.

Appeal success rates for Birmingham

Secondary schools (53)

Each has its own page with a 12-year demand history.

Contested secondary schools in Birmingham, 2026/27
School Places First choices Per place
Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Birmingham 123 432 3.51
Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Birmingham East 122 362 2.97
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls 150 337 2.25
Eden Boys' School, Birmingham 123 265 2.15
King Edward VI Five Ways School 180 387 2.15
Nishkam High School 120 233 1.94
The University of Birmingham School 147 285 1.94
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys 150 290 1.93
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls 179 320 1.79
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 190 306 1.61
St Paul's School for Girls 169 270 1.60
Ark St Alban's Academy 119 156 1.31
Kings Norton Girls' School 160 203 1.27
King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy 208 248 1.19
King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls 150 177 1.18
E-ACT Heartlands Academy 148 173 1.17
King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy 87 100 1.15
Queensbridge School 180 203 1.13
Stockland Green School 156 171 1.10
King Edward VI King's Norton School for Boys 160 174 1.09
Prince Albert High School 177 193 1.09
King Edward VI Handsworth School 192 207 1.08
The Arthur Terry School 279 298 1.07
Yardleys School 189 203 1.07
Bishop Walsh Catholic School 169 177 1.05
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys 146 152 1.04
Wheelers Lane Technology College 134 139 1.04
Aston Manor Academy 149 153 1.03
King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy 175 176 1.01
Plantsbrook School 270 273 1.01
St Edmund Campion Catholic School 215 214 1
Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School 160 158 0.99
King Edward VI Aston School 146 143 0.98
Harborne Academy 119 115 0.97
Swanshurst School 329 312 0.95
Bishop Challoner Catholic College 198 182 0.92
Tile Cross Academy 123 113 0.92
Fairfax 263 238 0.90
Hall Green School 175 157 0.90
Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School 130 115 0.88
Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form 124 108 0.87
Holte School 192 165 0.86
Lift Greenwood 203 173 0.85
Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School 206 174 0.84
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School 209 176 0.84
Hodge Hill College 239 186 0.78
Hodge Hill Girls' School 149 115 0.77
Arena Academy 164 123 0.75
Bartley Green School 183 138 0.75
Waverley School 120 90 0.75
King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls 165 117 0.71
Ark Victoria Academy 72 50 0.69
Kings Heath Secondary School 168 116 0.69

Primary schools (90)

Primary schools are listed here as figures rather than pages. Most refusals at the Reception intake are infant class size cases, where a panel can only act on three narrow grounds and fewer than one in ten appeals succeeds — so the honest thing to publish is the data, not a page inviting an appeal.

Contested primary schools in Birmingham, 2026/27
School Places First choices Per place
The Olive School, Birmingham 90 224 2.49
The Olive School, Small Heath 60 138 2.30
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School 30 59 1.97
Lift Lea Forest 60 110 1.83
Moseley Church of England Primary School 30 51 1.70
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School 30 48 1.60
St Thomas Church of England Primary School 30 47 1.57
Nishkam Primary School Birmingham 60 92 1.53
St James Catholic Primary School 29 44 1.52
Cromwell Junior and Infant School 30 44 1.47
Canterbury Cross Primary School 60 85 1.42
Moor Green Primary Academy 60 82 1.37
Chad Vale Primary School 60 81 1.35
Lift Percy Shurmer 60 80 1.33
Merritts Brook Primary E-ACT Academy 30 40 1.33
Four Oaks Primary School 60 79 1.32
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School 30 39 1.30
Chilcote Primary School 60 77 1.28
Brookvale Primary School 30 38 1.27
Little Sutton Primary School 60 76 1.27
Colebourne Primary School 60 74 1.23
Al-Furqan Primary School 90 108 1.20
Billesley Primary School 90 107 1.19
Acocks Green Primary School 60 71 1.18
Penns Primary School 30 35 1.17
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 30 35 1.17
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 30 35 1.17
St Mary's Catholic Primary School 60 70 1.17
St Margaret Mary RC Junior and Infant School 45 52 1.16
Cofton Primary School 60 68 1.13
Grendon Primary School 30 34 1.13
Marsh Hill Primary School 60 68 1.13
St Alban's Catholic Primary School 31 35 1.13
Story Wood School 30 34 1.13
The Shirestone Academy 30 34 1.13
Topcliffe Primary School 30 34 1.13
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School 30 33 1.10
St Peter's Catholic Primary School 30 33 1.10
Woodcock Hill Primary School 30 33 1.10
Boldmere Infant School and Nursery 90 98 1.09
Christ The King Catholic Primary School 45 49 1.09
Heathfield Primary School 60 64 1.07
Oasis Academy Foundry 30 32 1.07
St Cuthbert's RC Junior and Infant (NC) School 30 32 1.07
St John's & St Peter's CofE Primary 30 32 1.07
St Thomas More Catholic Primary School 45 48 1.07
Holly Hill Methodist CofE Infant School 60 63 1.05
Lift Montgomery 60 63 1.05
Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery 60 63 1.05
Oasis Academy Hobmoor 60 63 1.05
Bournville Village Primary 90 94 1.04
Brownmead Primary Academy 30 31 1.03
Cotteridge Primary School 60 62 1.03
Moor Hall Primary School 60 62 1.03
Our Lady and St Rose of Lima Catholic Primary School 30 31 1.03
Quinton Church Primary School 30 31 1.03
St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School 30 31 1.03
St George's Church of England Primary School 30 31 1.03
Stirchley Primary School 30 31 1.03
Water Mill Primary School 30 31 1.03
Prince Albert Junior and Infant School 90 92 1.02
Walmley Infant School 90 91 1.01
Ark Tindal Primary Academy 60 60 1
Broadmeadow Infant School 28 28 1
Court Farm Primary School 30 30 1
Jervoise School 16 16 —
St Gerard's Catholic Primary School 30 30 1
Abbey Catholic Primary School 60 59 0.98
Wylde Green Primary School 56 55 0.98
Bordesley Village Primary School 28 27 0.96
Greenholm Primary School 76 73 0.96
Shaw Hill Primary School 53 51 0.96
Barr View Primary & Nursery Academy 60 57 0.95
Dorrington Academy 88 84 0.95
Green Meadow Primary School 55 52 0.95
St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School 21 20 0.95
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School 30 28 0.93
St John's CofE Primary School 60 56 0.93
St Matthew's CofE Primary School 30 28 0.93
Woodhouse Primary Academy 40 37 0.93
St George's Church of England Academy, Newtown 26 24 0.92
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School 25 23 0.92
Washwood Heath Academy 26 24 0.92
Colmore Infant and Nursery School 117 106 0.91
Featherstone Primary School 58 52 0.90
Maney Hill Primary School 60 54 0.90
Nelson Mandela School 52 47 0.90
Hawthorn Primary School 25 22 0.88
West Heath Primary School 60 52 0.87
Sutton Park Primary 23 19 —

Department for Education, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, school-level file, 2026/27. Appeal outcomes are not published for individual schools — how we source and calculate the figures.