Education and schools in Birmingham

For families moving to Birmingham, the quality and variety of education and schools available in the area will be of great importance. Fortunately, Birmingham is home to a number of excellent government schools, which can be attended free of charge. Parents who prefer private schooling for their children also have plenty of options to choose from, though these institutions charge higher fees.

Government schools in Birmingham

Government-run schools can be attended free of charge and operate according to catchment areas. Many of these schools are single-sex, and some operate from a particular religion’s standpoint.

Some of Birmingham’s top government schools include King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, and Eden Boys’ School.

School inspections are regularly carried out by a government body known as Ofsted. Reports are available online, along with each school’s past performance in academic benchmarks and tests. When faced with a long list of potential schools, this site can be an efficient way of narrowing down options.

Useful links

• Ofsted
• Birmingham Schools Directory

Independent schools in Birmingham

Although significantly more expensive than government schools, independent schools typically offer smaller class sizes and better facilities. A variety of independent schools can be found in Birmingham, some of which subscribe to a particular religious ethos. Both single-sex and coeducational independent schools are available.

Top independent schools in Birmingham include King Edward VI High School for Girls and King Edward’s School. Some independent schools teach internationally renowned curricula, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB). King Edward’s School in Birmingham is one such school.

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has a list of each region’s independent schools, including details about the size of the student body and the religious affiliation of the school.

Useful links

• ISC – Independent schools in Birmingham

Special-needs education in Birmingham

In the UK, special needs are geared towards the goal of integration. Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are, therefore, kept in mainstream schooling as far as possible, provided their needs can be met there.

The local council is responsible for assessing children with special needs. Post-assessment, an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is drawn up. The plan assigns a particular school for them to attend. In the case that a mainstream school is unable to provide the kind of support required, the child may be assigned to a special school. There are a number of special schools in Birmingham catering to children with various social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Useful links

• Schools with resource bases for SEN
• Special schools

Tutors in Birmingham

New arrivals in Birmingham may find tutors to be a useful tool in their children’s education. In cases where students require help getting up to speed with their new school’s curriculum or if English isn’t the family’s first language, tutors can be extremely useful.

Finding a tutor is fairly simple. Recommendations from teachers and fellow parents are a good place to start, while online tutoring companies offer a wide selection of tutors for every need. Recommended tutoring companies include Community Education Services (CES) and Ucademy.

Useful links

• CES
• Ucademy