Aldridge School - A Science College
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,629 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.2
Academy converter
Barr Beacon School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,469of 1,487 places
- Free school meals
- 23.1%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 261
- Ofsted
- Good, 22 November 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Barr Beacon Language College (URN 104264, until 1 July 2011).
What the data says
Of the 289 pupils who finished Year 11 at Barr Beacon School in 2023, 48% stayed on in Barr Beacon School’s own sixth form (Walsall average 43%), 41% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 108 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 67% went to university (Walsall 35%, England 37%), and 36% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 36% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 51.0 against 46.1 across England and 43.0 in Walsall, with 62% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Walsall and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Barr Beacon School | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 289 | 3,611 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 94% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 90% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 48% | 43% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Barr Beacon School | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 108 | 3,439 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 67% | 35% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 36% | 17% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 7% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 15% | 24% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Barr Beacon School | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 51.0 | 43.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 62% | 39% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 77% | 57% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 87% | 36% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.99 | 3.77 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 20% | 40% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 44.3 | 34.4 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 52.7 | 48.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 5% | 21% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 261 | 100% | 89% | 24% | 20% | 82% |
| English Literature | 261 | 100% | 86% | 20% | 21% | 84% |
| Mathematics | 261 | 100% | 88% | 25% | 22% | 80% |
| Combined Science | 231 | 89% | 65% | 18% | 9% | 72% |
| Geography | 143 | 55% | 41% | 29% | 25% | 71% |
| French | 133 | 51% | 18% | 14% | 29% | 75% |
| History | 118 | 45% | 41% | 24% | 26% | 72% |
| German | 94 | 36% | 5% | 13% | 33% | 69% |
| Chemistry | 29 | 11% | 23% | 52% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 29 | 11% | 23% | 55% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 29 | 11% | 23% | 62% | 46% | 100% |
| Psychology | 27 | 10% | 3% | 41% | 22% | 85% |
| Physical Education | 24 | 9% | 11% | 0% | 24% | 75% |
| Computer Science | 21 | 8% | 13% | 43% | 30% | 81% |
| Sociology | 16 | 6% | 4% | 25% | 21% | 75% |
| Religious Studies | 12 | 5% | 31% | 33% | 32% | 75% |
| Textiles | 8 | 3% | 2% | 13% | 27% | 75% |
| Fine Art | 7 | 3% | 9% | 43% | 28% | 71% |
| Chinese | 4 | 2% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Punjabi | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 48% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 49 | 43% | — |
| Health Studies | 19 | 17% | — |
| Sports Studies | 13 | 11% | — |
| Dance: General | 13 | 11% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 9 | 8% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 9 | 8% | — |
| Multimedia | 9 | 8% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 7 | 6% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 5 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Barr Beacon School | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 209 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 115 | 1,281 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 33.01 | 33.52 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 10% | 20% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 47 | 41% | 31% |
| Psychology | 38 | 33% | 23% |
| Sociology | 30 | 26% | 13% |
| Biology | 24 | 21% | 20% |
| History | 23 | 20% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 22 | 19% | 17% |
| Geography | 19 | 17% | 10% |
| English Language and Literature | 18 | 16% | 2% |
| Physics | 11 | 10% | 12% |
| Religious Studies | 11 | 10% | 4% |
| Mathematics (Statistics) | 11 | 10% | 0% |
| Computer Science | 8 | 7% | 5% |
| French | 6 | 5% | 1% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 28 | 24% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 10% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 8% | — |
| Multimedia | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 8% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 8% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 7% | — |
| Art and Design | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 5% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Walsall
Bloxwich Academy
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79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 32.9
Blue Coat Church of England Academy
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88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.4
Brownhills Ormiston Academy
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Grace Academy Darlaston
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83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.2
Joseph Leckie Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,524 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.4
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.