A new list detailing the towns and cities in England with the best schools has been published, drawing on several key criteria to assess educational quality across the country.
The rankings evaluate 70 locations based on a combination of factors, including the proportion of outstanding schools as rated by Ofsted and the percentage of pupils achieving strong GCSE results. Each town and city received an overall score reflecting these aspects.
In the West Midlands region, Birmingham emerged as the highest-ranked city, placing 31st nationally. Around 74.6% of pupils in Birmingham achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths during the 2023/24 academic year-a commonly recognised benchmark for good exam performance. Additionally, 7.2% of schools in the city hold an outstanding Ofsted rating, the highest possible grade.
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Birmingham’s overall educational standing is likely buoyed by its prestigious grammar and private schools, which are regarded among the best nationally. Affluent areas such as Sutton Coldfield also feature several high-performing schools, as do neighbouring towns in Solihull, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, making the region attractive to families prioritising education.
Other parts of the West Midlands fared less well in the rankings. Dudley was placed 48th, followed by Walsall at 52nd. Wolverhampton ranked near the bottom of the list at 64th, with only 4% of its schools rated outstanding and 70% of pupils achieving grade 5 or above.
Access to good schools remains a crucial consideration for families choosing where to live. On a national scale, London topped the list overall, with Watford, Chelmsford, Slough, and Norwich also featuring in the top five.
Chelmsford, in Essex, stands out for its academic results, boasting the highest proportion of pupils achieving strong exam scores. Here, 82.5% of students attained grade 5 or above in English and maths, according to analysis by Chapel & Tuck.
Experts noted that Chelmsford “stands out for its academic results,” with a robust 82.49% achieving these grades, and 17.5% of pupils reaching Level 3 qualifications. Furthermore, 10.86% of schools in the area hold an outstanding rating, while pupil absence is relatively low at 6.4%.