FairfaxPlantsbrook School

Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Sutton Coldfield.

Summary of the comparison

Fairfax and Plantsbrook School are secondary schools in Sutton Coldfield.

  • Fairfax scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Plantsbrook School scores 61 out of 100 (grade C, average). Plantsbrook School is ahead on our composite score.

  • Fairfax was judged Good and Plantsbrook School was judged Good.

  • On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 49.1 for Fairfax and 51.8 for Plantsbrook School.

  • GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Fairfax (51.6 in 2021-22, 49.1 in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at Plantsbrook School (52.2 in 2021-22, 51.8 in 2024-25).

Side-by-side comparison

Fairfax versus Plantsbrook School compared on inspection, results, pupils and attendance.
Measure Sutton ColdfieldFairfaxSutton ColdfieldPlantsbrook SchoolEngland average
Overview
Our scoreC58/100C61/100Stronger figure
Local ranking44th of 89 in Birmingham 37th of 89 in Birmingham Stronger figure
InspectionOfsted: GoodOfsted: Good
School typeAcademy converter Academy converter
PhaseSecondary Secondary
Age range11-18 11-18
GenderMixed Mixed
Pupils on roll1,571 1,570
Capacity1,584 1,498
LocationSutton Coldfield, B75 7JT Sutton Coldfield, B72 1RB
GCSE results
Attainment 849.1 51.8 Stronger figure46.0
Grade 5+ in English & maths52.5% 59.7% Stronger figure45.4%
Grade 4+ in English & maths74.5% 77.7% Stronger figure64.8%
Entering EBacc28.6% 71.7% Stronger figure40.5%
EBacc average point score4.32 4.92 Stronger figure4.09
Cohort255 233
A-level results
A-level entries119 150
A-level average points34.2 Stronger figure30.0 35.0
A-level average gradeC+ C
Best 3 A-levels points35.5 Stronger figure31.7 35.8
AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects7.7% 9.4% Stronger figure17.5%
Pupils
Pupils in the census1,571 1,570
Free school meals (ever 6)24.2% 17.4%
English as an additional language8.1% 8.5%
SEN support12.5% 13.6%
SEN with an EHC plan1.5% 3.0%
Attendance
Overall absence7.2% 7.0% Stronger figure6.2%
Persistent absence20.2% 19.8% Stronger figure15.8%

marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.

Historical trends

Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.

GCSE Attainment 8

GCSE Progress 8

A-level average points

Overall absence

Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)

Pupils on roll

Ethnicity over time

One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.

Fairfax

Plantsbrook School

Full profiles: Fairfax · Plantsbrook School