What Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre does

Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded secondary school (registered as a private limited company in England and Wales, company number 07744525) located on Stonehouse Lane in Bartley Green, south-west Birmingham. It operates as an 11-16 girls' school with a mixed sixth form, serving approximately 700-900 students under a fixed Published Admission Number of 120 per year group as administered by Birmingham Local Education Authority. The school is led by Headteacher Mr S Abbotts and governed by a Board of Governors chaired by Mrs DMcilmurray. Its core product is a knowledge-rich secondary curriculum delivered across Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), Key Stage 4 GCSE (Years 10-11), and a mixed sixth form offering A-Levels and Level 3 vocational courses, with documented strong academic outcomes including a 100% A Level pass rate sustained for 15 consecutive years.

The school's technology stack is entirely standard for the UK state education sector and includes no proprietary systems: Class Charts for homework and behaviour tracking, ParentMail for parent communications, Microsoft Office 365 for email, and Google Translate for website localisation. The business model is government-funded at the primary revenue layer, with per-student funding flowing through Birmingham LEA based on enrolment numbers. Secondary revenue is generated through peripatetic music lessons (ranging from £242 to £605 per year depending on instrument), facilities hire to community groups and local businesses (sports hall, gymnasium, IT centre, conference rooms), and pass-through administration of the 16-19 Bursary Fund from the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Sixth Form education is free at the point of use, with discretionary bursaries available for households earning below £28,000 per annum.

The school has built a multi-stakeholder ecosystem including employer partnerships (ISHIDA Europe, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Mondelez, VolkerFitzpatrick), university and college partnerships (University College Birmingham, Halesowen College), and safeguarding agency partnerships (Operation Encompass, Forward Thinking Birmingham, Kooth). It distributes services through direct LEA-managed admissions, a direct sixth form application process with interview and reference checks, and a facilities hire channel managed in-house. Marketing channels are limited to the school website, ParentMail, X (@HillcrestSch), and prospective family visits. The institution exhibits characteristics of a stable, regulated public-sector operator rather than a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre

Legal name

Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre

Website

https://hillcrest.bham.sch.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded 11-16 girls' school with a mixed sixth form in south-west Birmingham, serving approximately 700-900 students with a fixed intake of 120 per year group and revenue primarily from UK government per-pupil funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Education: Hillcrest School is a state-funded secondary school receiving its primary revenue from the UK Government through local authority funding based on student enrollment numbers. Additional revenue is generated through facilities hire to community groups, local clubs, organisations, and businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre is a secondary school delivering statutory and post-16 education, including Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 (GCSE), and Sixth Form (post-16) academic study programmes. It provides classroom-based teaching, pastoral support, and progression pathways to higher education, further education, or employment for enrolled students.

Product overview

Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre is an educational institution offering a comprehensive educational programme from Years 7 through 13. The school provides a knowledge-rich curriculum across Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) with core subjects, languages, humanities, creative arts, and technology. At Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11), students follow GCSE courses with guided subject choices and preparation for English Baccalaureate. The mixed Sixth Form offers A-Level and vocational courses with enrichment programmes including EPQ and Duke of Edinburgh Award. Supporting services include SEND Learning Support, Safeguarding Services, Careers Education (CEIAG), the Homework Hub, Enrichment Programme, Life Skills Programme, and Knowledge Champions initiative. The school also offers Facilities Hire for community use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 (GCSE) Education

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% A Level pass rate maintained for 15 consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISHIDA EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHIDA Europe, located at Woodgate Valley Business Park, collaborates with Hillcrest School on careers provision. All Year 9 students complete a taster day at Ishida and engage with apprentices across several departments. Ishida staff deliver assemblies and workshops on apprenticeship opportunities to students in Years 7-11, as well as mock interview and CV writing workshops to Years 10 and 11. A targeted programme supports Year 10 students in understanding how to apply for apprenticeships.
• Birmingham Careers HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillcrest School is a member of the Birmingham Careers Hub, working collaboratively with colleagues in other hub schools, employers, training providers, higher education institutions and universities to co-ordinate careers and work-related learning provision. The school works with Enterprise Co-ordinator Claire Donnelly.
• Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForward Thinking Birmingham is the city's mental health partnership for 0-25 year olds. Hillcrest School provides information about FTB services to parents and students, including self-referral options, crisis support (24/7 helpline: 0300 300 0099), Silvercloud online therapy, and the Pause city centre drop-in service run by The Children's Society.
• Operation EncompasscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school operates as part of Operation Encompass in Birmingham, a system that helps police and schools work together to provide emotional and practical help to children who experience domestic abuse. When police are called to a domestic abuse incident involving children in the household, the school is informed before the child arrives the following day, enabling the safeguarding team to provide immediate support.
• Halesowen CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHalesowen College provides further education and career pathway information to Hillcrest students, with documented impact evaluations showing positive feedback from students.
• BMWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBMW provides careers information and employer engagement activities for Hillcrest students, documented through impact evaluations.
• MondelezminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMondelez provides careers information and employer engagement activities for Hillcrest students, with documented impact evaluations.
• UCB (University College Birmingham)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity College Birmingham provides higher education information and engagement activities for Hillcrest Sixth Form students, with documented impact evaluations.
• VolkerFitzpatrickminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolkerFitzpatrick provides careers information and employer engagement activities for Hillcrest students, with documented impact evaluations.
• Jaguar Land RoverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJaguar Land Rover provides apprenticeship and career information for Hillcrest students through their future talent and apprenticeship programmes.
• NHS (Medical Professionals)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical professionals deliver workshops to students as part of the Life Skills curriculum and personal development programme.
• Police and Counter Terrorism TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Counter Terrorism Team delivers workshops to students as part of the school's safeguarding and online safety curriculum, addressing risks including extremist radicalisation and keeping children safe online.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Withington Girls' School: Independent girls' school in Manchester with a mixed sixth form and similar 11-18 age profile. Comparable in offering single-sex education to 16 then co-ed, with comparable enrichment and safeguarding emphasis.
• The Henrietta Barnett School: State-funded grammar school for girls in London with a mixed sixth form, offering an academically rigorous secondary education. Directly comparable model as a state-sector girls' school with strong results and selective intake.
• King Edward VI Five Ways School: Birmingham grammar school offering the full secondary and sixth form range with comparable curriculum structure and high attainment outcomes. Competes for the same academically able local cohort in the West Midlands market.
• King Edward VI High School for Girls: Birmingham girls' grammar school delivering Key Stage 3, GCSE, and A Level provision with a mixed sixth form and strong Russell Group destinations. Closest direct state-sector comparable for academic outcomes and student profile.
• Edgbaston High School for Girls: Independent girls' day school in Birmingham providing secondary education (ages 11-18) with similar single-gender intake to age 16 and co-educational sixth form. Directly comparable offering, location, and fee-point market in the same city.
• North London Collegiate School: Selective girls' day school (11-18) with shared emphasis on academic stretch, breadth of enrichment, and Oxbridge-level destinations. Closely comparable on curriculum philosophy and competitive admissions position.
• James Allen's Girls' School (JAGS): London independent girls' school with mixed sixth form, offering a parallel 11-18 single-sex-then-co-ed model with strong STEM, arts, and pastoral provision. Comparable curriculum breadth and destination outcomes.

Others

• Class Charts: Homework and behaviour management platform used across the school, representative of the broader edtech ecosystem (ParentMail, Office 365) on which Hillcrest depends for its digital infrastructure.
• Birmingham Local Education Authority schools (network): The Birmingham LEA acts as the admissions gatekeeper and majority funder for Hillcrest, making the LEA's secondary school network the relevant comparator set on funding, admissions policy, and per-pupil allocation.

Broad incumbents

• Cheltenham Ladies' College: Large independent girls' boarding and day school (11-18) operating at significantly greater scale. Comparable curricular and pastoral model but with much wider geographic reach and a different funding base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HillcrestSch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hillcrest-school-and-sixth-form-centre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre