Plantsbrook School
Plantsbrook School is a state-funded Ofsted 'Good' coeducational secondary school and sixth form in Sutton Coldfield, UK, serving approximately 1,500+ students aged 11-18, and uniquely hosting one of only two specialist Vision Impairment Resource Bases in the West Midlands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersSutton Coldfield, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Plantsbrook School does
Plantsbrook School is a state-funded coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, operating as part of the Broadleaf Partnership Trust (Company Number 07655702). The school serves approximately 1,500+ students across Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11 with GCSE and vocational pathways), and Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form with A-Levels and BTEC Level 3 qualifications), including around 300 sixth formers. The core curriculum spans English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Modern Foreign Languages, Performing Arts, Physical Education, Computing, Art, Design Technology, Business, and Social Sciences, with character development and careers education (delivered via Unifrog and aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks) running as cross-cutting programmes. The school is Ofsted rated 'Good' and uniquely hosts one of only two specialist Vision Impairment Resource Bases in the West Midlands, serving up to 20 students with Education Health Care Plans and providing Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVI), Braille instruction, tactile diagrams, and ICT skills training.
The school's technology stack is procured rather than proprietary, comprising multiple integrated third-party platforms: Arbor for student information management and parent communications, Bedrock Learning for vocabulary and literacy development (Years 7-9), Unifrog for careers guidance (Years 7-13), Google Classroom for learning management, Accelerated Reader and Lexia for literacy support, Eclipse Reading Cloud for the Learning Resource Centre, Applicaa for sixth-form admissions, SchoolHire for facility lettings, CookieYes for GDPR consent management, and a 'Brook' Virtual Careers Assistant chatbot for student-facing career guidance. The Learning Resource Centre houses approximately 10,000 resources and 16 Chromebooks. There is no proprietary platform development or in-house engineering capability; the technology function is integration and procurement rather than product development.
As a state-funded academy, Plantsbrook School generates no commercial revenue from tuition. Funding flows from the Education and Skills Funding Agency via per-pupil allocations, supplemented by Pupil Premium (£1,075 per eligible pupil in 2025/26) and Looked After Children funding (£2,630 per child). Admissions for Year 7 are administered by Birmingham City Council under standard oversubscription criteria (looked-after children, siblings, geographic proximity, Town Junior School feeder). The school operates a single-site model with a dedicated sixth-form facility and two specialised units (the VI Resource Base and the Bridge Centre for additional needs). Non-government revenue is limited to facility lettings through the SchoolHire booking platform, available to external hirers during weekday evenings and weekends. Leadership is provided by Headteacher Mrs K. Neal, supported by Deputy Headteacher Mr A Hulse and a senior team including the SENCo and Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Plantsbrook School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plantsbrook School
- Legal name
- Plantsbrook School
- Website
- https://plantsbrookschool.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Plantsbrook School is a state-funded Ofsted 'Good' coeducational secondary school and sixth form in Sutton Coldfield, UK, serving approximately 1,500+ students aged 11-18, and uniquely hosting one of only two specialist Vision Impairment Resource Bases in the West Midlands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Plantsbrook School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Secondary Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG), Special Education Alternative / Nonpublic Schools (NPS) & Placements (EDAKAAAF)
Keywords
Where Plantsbrook School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sutton Coldfield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Plantsbrook School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Plantsbrook School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Plantsbrook School is a state-funded community secondary school and sixth form providing full-time education for approximately 1,500+ students aged 11-18 (Years 7-13). The school delivers the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 leading to GCSEs, plus a Sixth Form offering A-Levels and BTEC Level 3 qualifications. It operates two specialist units — the Vision Impairment Resource Base (one of only two in the West Midlands) and the Bridge Centre for additional needs — alongside a careers education programme aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Product overview
Plantsbrook School is a mainstream secondary school and sixth form offering a comprehensive educational programme for approximately 1500+ students. The school operates a single-site model with a dedicated Sixth Form facility and two specialised units: the Vision Impairment Resource Base (VIRB) for students with visual impairments, and the Bridge Centre for students with additional needs. The curriculum is delivered through distinct subject departments spanning core academics (English, Maths, Science), humanities, languages, arts, and vocational subjects. The school integrates several digital platforms including Unifrog for careers guidance, Bedrock Learning for vocabulary development, Arbor for school management, and Accelerated Reader for literacy. The educational offering is structured across Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11 with GCSE and vocational options), and Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form with A-Levels and BTEC qualifications). Additional support services include SEND provision, careers education aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks, counselling, and an on-site Learning Resource Centre. The school also offers community facilities for hire through SchoolHire.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mainstream Secondary Education
- Sixth Form (Post-16)
Quantifiable outcome
- High proportion of students progress successfully to further education and training
Companies that use Plantsbrook School
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Plantsbrook School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Plantsbrook School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Broadleaf Partnership TrustcorePlantsbrook School is part of the Broadleaf Partnership Trust, a multi-academy trust (company number 07655702) registered in England & Wales. The trust provides governance, oversight, and support for the school. Governance information is available at www.broadleafpt.co.uk/governance.
- UnifrogcoreAward-winning careers and destinations platform used by all students from Year 7 to Year 13. Helps students explore interests, develop skills, and plan for the future. Students use Unifrog for personality quizzes, career research, university/course comparisons, CV building, and application tracking.
- Birmingham Careers ServicecoreExternal careers service providing impartial careers advice and guidance to students at key points in their KS4 and KS5 journey.
- BMet CollegeminorLocal further education college partnered with the school for student progression pathways.
- Walsall CollegeminorLocal further education college partnered with the school for student progression pathways.
- South & City College BirminghamminorLocal further education college partnered with the school for student progression pathways.
- Solihull CollegeminorLocal further education college partnered with the school for student progression pathways.
- University College BirminghamminorLocal university partnered with the school for student progression pathways.
- Pupil and School Support Service (PSS)minorExternal agency supporting Cognition and Learning for students with SEND.
- Communication and Autism Team (CAT)minorExternal agency supporting Communication and Interaction needs for students with SEND.
- Educational Psychologist (EP)minorExternal professional supporting learning and developmental needs for students with SEND.
- Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)minorExternal therapy service supporting functional interaction, communication, speech and language skills for students with SEND.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Plantsbrook School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Oasis Community Learning: National multi-academy trust running a large portfolio of academies across England. Comparable as a broader academy-sector incumbent for trust-level governance, inclusion practices, and community-hub operating models.
- Harris Federation: One of the largest multi-academy trusts in England, operating 50+ primary and secondary academies nationwide. Relevant as a benchmark for MAT-level operating model, central services leverage, and academy growth strategy relative to smaller trusts like Broadleaf.
Direct peers
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: Selective grammar school located in the same Sutton Coldfield town centre as Plantsbrook. Competes directly for the highest-attaining pupils from the same affluent Royal Town catchment, making it the closest head-to-head admissions competitor.
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys: Selective boys' grammar school within Birmingham Local Authority, competing for the same grammar-eligible boys from across Birmingham, including the Sutton Coldfield feeder area.
- Washwood Heath Academy: Birmingham secondary academy operating within the same Local Authority oversight framework. Provides a peer benchmark for academy governance, Pupil Premium deployment, and post-16 progression outcomes.
- Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls: Selective girls' grammar school in Sutton Coldfield recruiting from the same north-Birmingham catchment. A direct competitor for top-performing female pupils within Plantsbrook's typical intake area.
- Arthur Terry School: Large mixed comprehensive secondary school in Sutton Coldfield, sitting within or adjacent to the Broadleaf Partnership Trust. Directly comparable in scale, intake geography, and curriculum breadth to Plantsbrook.
- Ninestiles, An Academy: Birmingham secondary academy of broadly similar scale serving a comparable 11-18 comprehensive cohort. A useful local-authority peer for benchmarking attainment, sixth form offer, and SEND provision.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Plantsbrook School social profiles
Digital presencePlantsbrook School compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Plantsbrook School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plantsbrook School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Plantsbrook School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plantsbrook School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Plantsbrook School
What does Plantsbrook School do?
Plantsbrook School is a state-funded community secondary school and sixth form providing full-time education for approximately 1,500+ students aged 11-18 (Years 7-13). The school delivers the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 leading to GCSEs, plus a Sixth Form offering A-Levels and BTEC Level 3 qualifications. It operates two specialist units — the Vision Impairment Resource Base (one of only two in the West Midlands) and the Bridge Centre for additional needs — alongside a careers education programme aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Is Plantsbrook School a public or private company?
Plantsbrook School is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Plantsbrook School founded?
Plantsbrook School was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Plantsbrook School based?
Plantsbrook School is headquartered in Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Plantsbrook School's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Oasis Community Learning and Harris Federation. Direct peers are Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, Washwood Heath Academy, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls, Arthur Terry School and Ninestiles, An Academy.
Does Plantsbrook School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plantsbrook School.
What industry is Plantsbrook School in?
Plantsbrook School's product category is Secondary Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAB, Public Elementary Schools, with a secondary code of EDAHADAG, Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit). Its NAICS code is 611110 and its SIC code is 8200.