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The University of Birmingham School vs Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School

At a glance

The University of Birmingham School and Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School are both in Birmingham and 0.6 miles apart in a straight line.

Only Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School has a graded Ofsted inspection in our data (Good, 2023).

The University of Birmingham School had the higher Attainment 8 score in 2025-26 (provisional): 47.8 against 41.9 (a gap of 5.9 points).

Progress 8 was not published for 2025-26 (provisional) so this comparison relies on attainment.

Overall absence in 2024-25 was 8.0% at The University of Birmingham School and 11.5% at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School.

The University of Birmingham School has 1,177 pupils for 1,150 published places (102%) and Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School has 767 for 650 (118%).

Built from the figures in the table below. Sources and years are given next to every figure.

Side by side

The University of Birmingham School compared with Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School
Measure The University of Birmingham School Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School
Ofsted
Overall Ofsted grade Ofsted MI, inspections to 31 May 2026 No graded inspection in our data Good 2023
School profile
Type GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract Free schools Academy converter
Phase and age range GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract Secondary, ages 11-19 Secondary, ages 11-19
Location GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract Birmingham Birmingham
Pupils on roll GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract 1,177 767
Results and attendanceEach row shows the latest year both schools have a figure for. "Stronger" marks a gap big enough to matter in a year both schools report. Rounding-level differences are not marked. Attainment figures reflect each school's intake as well as its teaching. Progress 8 is the only measure here that adjusts for pupils' starting points.
Attainment 8 (average score) DfE KS4 results, 2025-26 (provisional) 47.8 Stronger 41.9
Progress 8 score DfE KS4 results, 2023-24 Progress 8 was not published for the 2025-26 (provisional) results because the Department for Education did not calculate it for that cohort. The last published year is shown. Confidence intervals overlap so there is no clear difference. -0.09 +0.21
Grade 5+ in English and maths DfE KS4 results, 2025-26 (provisional) 46% 45%
Grade 4+ in English and maths DfE KS4 results, 2025-26 (provisional) 65% Stronger 60%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4 DfE KS4 results, 2025-26 (provisional) 148 126
A-level average point score DfE A-level results, 2024-25 34.77 Stronger 30.00
A-level average grade DfE A-level results, 2024-25 C+ C
A-level students in the point score measure DfE A-level results, 2024-25 194 21
Overall absence (lower is better) DfE pupil absence, 2024-25 8.0% Stronger 11.5%
Persistent absence (lower is better) DfE pupil absence, 2024-25 Share of pupils missing 10% or more of sessions. 26.6% Stronger 38.3%
Intake and admissionsNot marked as stronger or weaker. These rows describe who a school serves and how its places are filled. They do not measure teaching quality so a higher or lower figure is not better.
Pupils eligible for free school meals GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract 38.2% 39.3%
Published capacity (places) GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract 1,150 650
Pupils on roll as % of capacity GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract, pupils divided by capacity 102% 118%
Admissions policy GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract Non-selective Non-selective
Religious character GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract None recorded None recorded

"Not published" means the figure is not published or is suppressed for that school and year. It does not mean zero.

Trends over time

Solid blue line with round markers: The University of Birmingham School. Dashed amber line with square markers: Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School. Years with no published figure for either school are left off the axis.

Attainment 8 (average score), higher is better
Attainment 8 (average score) by yearThe University of Birmingham School: 2022-23 51.5, 2023-24 47.1, 2024-25 45.5, 2025-26 47.8. Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School: 2022-23 44.7, 2023-24 47.0, 2024-25 44.6, 2025-26 41.9.40.042.545.047.550.052.522-2323-2424-2525-26
Show these figures as a table
YearThe University of Birmingham SchoolDame Elizabeth Cadbury School
2022-2351.544.7
2023-2447.147.0
2024-2545.544.6
2025-26 (provisional)47.841.9

Source: DfE key stage 4 results, 2022-23 to 2025-26. The latest year is provisional.

Overall absence (% of sessions), lower is better
Overall absence (% of sessions) by yearThe University of Birmingham School: 2018-19 5.8%, 2021-22 9.2%, 2022-23 10.2%, 2023-24 9.8%, 2024-25 8.0%. Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School: 2018-19 4.9%, 2021-22 11.2%, 2022-23 11.2%, 2023-24 10.5%, 2024-25 11.5%.4.06.08.010.012.018-1921-2222-2323-2424-25
Show these figures as a table
YearThe University of Birmingham SchoolDame Elizabeth Cadbury School
2018-195.8%4.9%
2021-229.2%11.2%
2022-2310.2%11.2%
2023-249.8%10.5%
2024-258.0%11.5%

Source: DfE pupil absence, 2018-19 to 2024-25.

Grade 5+ in English and maths (% of pupils), higher is better
Grade 5+ in English and maths (% of pupils) by yearThe University of Birmingham School: 2022-23 55%, 2023-24 48%, 2024-25 41%, 2025-26 46%. Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School: 2022-23 45%, 2023-24 51%, 2024-25 42%, 2025-26 45%.4045505522-2323-2424-2525-26
Show these figures as a table
YearThe University of Birmingham SchoolDame Elizabeth Cadbury School
2022-2355%45%
2023-2448%51%
2024-2541%42%
2025-26 (provisional)46%45%

Source: DfE key stage 4 results, 2022-23 to 2025-26. The latest year is provisional.

Admissions: how the two schools differ

Distance between the schools: 0.6 miles in a straight line between the two school sites. The coordinates come from the GIAS (DfE) March 2026 extract. This is not a walking or driving distance and it does not show which school your address is in catchment for.

How full they are: pupils on roll divided by published capacity from the GIAS (DfE) March 2026 extract. Both figures cover every year group (including any sixth form). Treat the percentage as a rough guide to demand rather than the size of the Year 7 intake.

The University of Birmingham School

Capacity
1,150 places
Pupils on roll
1,177
Full
102% (at or over capacity)
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Religious character
None recorded

Source: GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract. Each school's own admissions policy sets its oversubscription criteria. It is published by Birmingham (official admissions page) or by the school.

Check the catchment for your postcode The University of Birmingham School catchment page

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School

Capacity
650 places
Pupils on roll
767
Full
118% (at or over capacity)
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Religious character
None recorded

Source: GIAS (DfE), March 2026 extract. Each school's own admissions policy sets its oversubscription criteria. It is published by Birmingham (official admissions page) or by the school.

Check the catchment for your postcode Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School catchment page

Sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Attainment 8 and Progress 8 are only comparable between schools within the same year.

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