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 59 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 48.5 for Fairfax and 49.1 for Plantsbrook School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Fairfax (51.6 in 2021-22, 48.5 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Plantsbrook School (52.2 in 2021-22, 49.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | Sutton ColdfieldFairfax | Sutton ColdfieldPlantsbrook School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C59/100 | C61/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 42nd of 89 in Birmingham | 36th of 89 in Birmingham Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,581 | 1,574 | |
| Capacity | 1,584 | 1,498 | |
| Location | Sutton Coldfield, B75 7JT | Sutton Coldfield, B72 1RB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 48.5 | 49.1 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 52.8% | 54.6% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 70.2% | 78.2% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 252 | 238 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 119 | 150 | |
| A-level average points | 34.2 Stronger figure | 30.0 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 35.5 Stronger figure | 31.7 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 7.7% | 9.4% Stronger figure | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,571 | 1,570 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 24.2% | 17.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 8.1% | 8.5% | |
| SEN support | 12.5% | 13.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.5% | 3.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.2% | 7.0% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 20.2% | 19.8% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
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