Fairfax
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–18 · Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
2.43 miles
Published by Birmingham City Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2021–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Fairfax is a secondary school in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham for ages 11–18 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 21 May 2024. Birmingham has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2021 to 2026 entry.
Fairfax catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 2.43 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2022 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2021 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- The last child offered a Year 7 place in 2026 lived 2.43 miles away, further than in 2025; the 2026 figure was the longest of the 6 years.
- In 2026, Year 7 had 238 first-choice applications for 263 offers; 219 offers went to first-choice families, and 19 first-choice families were not offered a place.
- 53% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths in 2024/25 (England 45%); 4th lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Birmingham.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Birmingham schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Fairfax Road, Sutton Coldfield, B75 7JT
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Birmingham
- Pupils on roll
- 1,581 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 20.7% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 19.3
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 21 May 2024
Strengths
- “Fairfax is an inclusive and thriving school.”
- “Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend well.”
- “Their personal development is provided for exceptionally well.”
To improve
- “However, on some occasions, teachers move pupils on to new learning before their knowledge has been checked.”
- “This leads to gaps in understanding for some pupils, making it difficult for them to build on their learning over time.”
- “The curriculum is having a positive impact for almost all pupils; however, some disadvantaged pupils are not achieving as highly as they could.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 17 June 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 53% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 49.1 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | C+ | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 238 first-preference applications, 263 offers in total, 219 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Birmingham.
- The Royal Sutton School 0.1 mi Good Last distance published
- Plantsbrook School 0.9 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Bishop Walsh Catholic School 1.1 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 1.1 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls 1.4 mi Good Last distance published
- The Arthur Terry School 2.5 mi Good Last distance published
- St Edmund Campion Catholic School 2.6 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Lift Greenwood 2.9 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published