Barr Beacon School

School overview

Barr Beacon School is a secondary school serving Walsall, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. It has 1,501 pupils aged 11 to 18 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Barr Beacon School 'Good'. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 51.0 — above the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has risen by 0.6 points year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 25% of secondary schools nationally.

62% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well above the national average of about 45%. 77% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Barr Beacon School is oversubscribed: about 7 in 10 of the families who made it their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, with 333 first choices for 264 places. In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 1.19 miles from the school in a straight line, according to the council's published allocation figures; the distance changes every year with demand. After Year 11, 94% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 7.5%. There are about 13.8 pupils per teacher. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.