What Swanshurst School does

Swanshurst School is a state-funded secondary school for girls located in Billesley, Birmingham, UK, operating as an academy within the West Midlands Academy Trust (WMAT) since 1 January 2025. It serves students aged 11-18 across Key Stages 3, 4, and 5, delivering a broad curriculum that includes GCSEs, A Levels, Applied General (BTEC) qualifications, V Levels, T Levels, and Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs), alongside enrichment offerings such as the Extended Project Qualification, Core Mathematics, and forthcoming Oracy and Personal Finance courses launching in September 2026. The school's core go-to-market is direct education delivery on a single physical campus, with student admissions governed by local catchment and academy policies and revenue derived principally from per-pupil government funding via the ESFA, supplemented by limited paid services and voluntary contributions.

The school differentiates through strong academic outcomes (62% A*-B at A Level, 99.5% A*-E pass rate, 100% BTEC pass rate, and 75%+ placement at first-choice universities), an Outstanding Ofsted rating from May 2024, and an unusually broad partner ecosystem spanning 15+ Russell Group universities (including Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, and Aston), the Nuffield Foundation, the Social Mobility Foundation, the Sutton Trust, and six ITE provider partnerships for teacher training. It is also developing a new SEND Resource Base for girls with autism, opening in September 2027 in partnership with Birmingham City Council. Technology deployment is limited to standard EdTech utilities (Edulink, Scopay, SHARP, Unifrog, Aplicaa); there is no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, or external commercial revenue stream.

Name

Swanshurst School

Legal name

Swanshurst School

Website

https://swanshurst.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Swanshurst School is a state-funded secondary school and Sixth Form for girls in Birmingham, UK, operating within West Midlands Academy Trust and serving around 1,200-1,800 students aged 11-18 with GCSEs, A Levels, BTECs, T Levels, and university access programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Sixth form education
• GCSE qualifications
• A level courses
• Vocational qualifications

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: Swanshurst School is a state-funded secondary school providing free education to students. The school receives government funding for its educational operations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Swanshurst School delivers state-funded secondary and sixth form education to girls aged 11-18 through Key Stage 3, GCSE, and Sixth Form pathways. The school's offerings include a broad GCSE curriculum, A Levels, BTEC and V Level vocational qualifications, a T Level in Education and Childcare, Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs), and enrichment courses such as EPQ and Core Mathematics. Comprehensive careers guidance, university access programmes, pastoral support, and student leadership development are provided alongside the academic curriculum.

Product overview

Swanshurst School is an educational institution providing secondary and sixth form education. The school's offerings include a comprehensive curriculum spanning Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 (GCSE), and Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form). Sixth Form students can choose from traditional A Level qualifications across facilitating subjects (Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Physics), Applied General (BTEC) qualifications in Health & Social Care and Applied Science, V Level qualifications in Digital Systems/Data and Accountancy/Finance, T Level in Education and Childcare, and Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) in Medical Science, Food & Nutrition, and Health and Social Care. All students also undertake enrichment qualifications including Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), Core Mathematics, and from September 2026, Oracy and Personal Finance courses. The school provides extensive university access programmes, enrichment activities including student leadership, and career guidance through the Unifrog platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A Level Courses Traditional A Level qualifications across facilitating subjects (Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Physics) and elective subjects (Art & Design, Business, Computer Science, Drama, Economics, Law, Media Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Sociology), delivered to Sixth Form students aged 16-18.
• Applied General (BTEC) Qualifications Level 3 Applied Technical courses including BTEC Health & Social Care Diploma and Extended Diploma, and BTEC Applied Science Diploma, with employer engagement through work placements.
• V Level Qualifications Technical pathway qualifications including V Level Digital Systems and Data and V Level Accountancy and Finance, with employer engagement through work placements.
• T Level in Education and Childcare Level 3 Technical pathway qualification in Education and Early Years with an employer engagement component.
• Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) Qualifications including AAQ Medical Science, AAQ Food & Nutrition, and AAQ Health and Social Care.
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) AS qualification involving a research project culminating in a 5,000-word essay, taken alongside three Level 3 subjects.
• Core Mathematics AS qualification examining students' knowledge of mathematics in real-life situations, taken alongside main Level 3 subjects.
• Oracy Course Practical course accredited by exam boards developing oracy skills, launching September 2026.
• Personal Finance Course Practical course accredited by exam boards developing personal finance skills, launching September 2026.
• University Access Programmes Programmes including Nuffield Research Placements, Pathways to Birmingham, Pathway to Healthcare (Aston University), Realising Opportunities, Social Mobility Foundation, and Sutton Trust Summer School designed to support university applications for Sixth Form students.
• Year 12 Enrichment Programme Multi-faceted programme including Reading Leaders, Big Sisters mentoring, Talk the Talk workshops, university visits, UCAS Conference preparation, work experience, and extra-curricular wellbeing activities.
• GCSE Subjects (Key Stage 4) Key Stage 4 curriculum including Core Subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Combined or Triple Science, Core PE), EBacc Subjects (Arabic, French, Spanish, Geography, History, Computer Science), and Foundation Subjects (Art & Design, Business Studies, Creative iMedia, Dance, Drama, DT, Economics, Food Preparation, Health & Social Care, IT, Music, PE, Psychology, RS, Sociology, Travel & Tourism).

Quantifiable outcome

• 62% A*-B grades at A Level/Level 3
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Midlands Academy TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-academy trust established with Hall Green School and Kings Norton Girls' School. All three schools transferred to WMAT on 1st January 2025. Registered as charitable company limited by guarantee (Number 15869744).
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial Teacher Education provider partnership offering PGCE and School Direct programmes. University of Birmingham is one of the Russell Group universities that Swanshurst students progress to.
• Birmingham City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial Teacher Education provider offering PGCE, School Direct (QTS & DipEd), PCET, and Teach First programmes.
• Bishop Challoner Teaching School AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching School Alliance providing School Direct (QTS & DipEd) programmes for teacher training.
• Kings Edward's ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching School Alliance offering School Direct (QTS & DipEd) programmes for Initial Teacher Education.
• Newman UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial Teacher Education provider offering PGCE (QTS) programmes for teacher training.
• Colmore Partnership Teaching School AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching School Alliance providing School Direct Primary and Secondary programmes for teacher training.
• Nuffield FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding body for Nuffield Research Placements - summer research opportunities for Year 12 students to enhance university applications and career prospects.
• University of Birmingham (Pathways to Birmingham)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccess programme including Routes to the Professions, Academic Enrichment Programme, and Access to Birmingham (A2B) for Year 12/13 students from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Aston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPathway to Healthcare Programme for Year 12 students interested in Medicine or Life and Health Sciences degrees.
• Realising OpportunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration of 15 Russell Group research-intensive universities working together to promote fair access to university and professions.
• Social Mobility FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear 12 programme including mentoring, career workshops, university application support, and internships with top employers.
• The Sutton TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccess programmes for students from less advantaged backgrounds including summer schools at leading universities.
• University of Cambridge (UNIQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSutton Trust Summer School - week-long subject-specific residential summer school at Cambridge University.
• University of Oxford (UNIQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIQ summer school - access programme for state school students with residential in Oxford and online admissions support.
• STEM LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for Nuffield Research Placements, providing engaging hands-on research projects for students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bishop Challoner Catholic College: Birmingham Catholic secondary school with a sixth form and a Teaching School Alliance that partners with Swanshurst for ITE. Comparable secondary curriculum and sixth form model, and direct training-pipeline linkage.
• King Edward VI High School for Girls: Selective girls' grammar school in Edgbaston, Birmingham, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Most directly comparable peer in the same city, sharing the same target market (high-attainment girls) and similar sixth-form progression to Russell Group universities.
• Edgbaston High School for Girls: Independent girls' school in Birmingham serving ages 2-18 with a strong sixth form and similar focus on Russell Group progression. Directly comparable in cohort profile and curriculum breadth, though fee-paying rather than state-funded.
• Chelmsford County High School for Girls: Selective state grammar school for girls with an Outstanding Ofsted rating and a strong sixth form. Comparable as a non-fee-paying girls' secondary with high academic outcomes and a similar cohort profile.
• Kings Norton Girls' School: Birmingham girls' secondary that is the third member of West Midlands Academy Trust alongside Swanshurst. Same trust, same Birmingham geography, same state-funded model, providing a direct peer for shared-curriculum and progression benchmarking.
• North London Collegiate School: Highly selective UK girls' school (independent) with outstanding A Level outcomes and very high Russell Group progression. Comparable as a high-performance girls' sixth-form peer, though London-based and fee-paying.
• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls: Selective Birmingham grammar school for girls rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Direct competitor for high-attainment female applicants in the same city, with comparable Russell Group progression outcomes.
• Hall Green School: Birmingham secondary school that, together with Swanshurst, transferred into West Midlands Academy Trust on 1 January 2025. Same trust, same city, same funding model — most directly comparable for trust-level operational benchmarking.

Regional players

• Wolverhampton Girls' High School: Selective girls' grammar school in the West Midlands with an Outstanding Ofsted rating. Comparable on academic outcomes and sixth form progression, serving the broader West Midlands region rather than Birmingham specifically.
• Queen Mary's Grammar School: Selective Walsall secondary with a strong sixth form and Outstanding outcomes. Regional peer in the West Midlands competing for similar high-attainment applicants, useful as a benchmark on results and progression.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/swanshurstnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/swanshurst-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

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 Swanshurst School