School profile

Nishkam High School

Secondary · Free schools · Birmingham, B19 2LF

Outstanding

Map showing Nishkam High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#735 of 3,312

Better than 77% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#904 of 2,536

Better than 64% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Nishkam High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 11 Mar 2025

Area360 rating
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 19
Pupils668
GenderMixed
Religious characterSikh
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherHeadteacher Emma Wilks
TrustNISHKAM SCHOOLS MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityBirmingham
Opened31 Aug 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138586.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolBirminghamEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.52, better than England, better than Birmingham46.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.72.7%, better than England, better than Birmingham64.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.56.2%, better than England, better than Birmingham47.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.22.3%, better than England, better than Birmingham16.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths68.6%, better than England, better than Birmingham59.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4121--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolBirminghamEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.36.04, similar to England, similar to Birmingham34.8835
Average A-level gradeB---
Average points, best three A-levels37.19, similar to England, similar to Birmingham35.9335.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB---
AAB or better17.8%, similar to England, worse than Birmingham21.9%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.02, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study70--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils668
Girls299
Boys369
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.30.1%
First language not English28.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.700
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.4.6%
Sixth form places2024/25200
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.63
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.26
Average class size22.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

Indian
57.2%
African
11.4%
Other Asian
6.1%
Other mixed
4.5%
Bangladeshi
4.5%
Other ethnic group
4%
Pakistani
3.7%
White and Asian
2.2%
Caribbean
1.6%
Other Black
0.9%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher15.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.3
Teachers (FTE)43
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.26
Support staff (FTE)20.88
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2545.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2540.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.120
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.1,119
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.233
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.99
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)108

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolBirminghamEngland
Overall absence5%, better than England, better than Birmingham7.5%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.11.1%, better than England, better than Birmingham22.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.4%, better than England, better than Birmingham3.1%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate8.8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.94.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.93.1%
School sixth form55.9%
Further education36.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.9%
Sixth form college1%
Employment1%
Apprenticeship0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.83.9%
Higher education74.2%
Apprenticeship9.7%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.5%
Further education0%
Employment0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Nishkam High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryAnglesey Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miNurseryNewtown Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.3 miPrimarySt Francis Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Chad's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryLozells Junior and Infant School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.4 miNurseryBrearley Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt George's Church of England Academy, NewtownAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryChilwell Croft AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miSecondaryHolte SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miNot applicableFlexible Learning SchoolOther independent school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Nishkam High School

What is Nishkam High School's Ofsted rating?

Nishkam High School is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 11 Mar 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Nishkam High School rank in England?

Nishkam High School ranks 735 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 77% of schools) and 904 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 64% of schools).

What are Nishkam High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 56.2% of pupils at Nishkam High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 52 (England 46.2).

What are Nishkam High School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Nishkam High School was B-, and 17.8% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Nishkam High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Nishkam High School made 120 offers from 1,119 applications (9.3 per offer), and 99 of 233 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Nishkam High School?

Nishkam High School has 668 pupils aged 11 to 19.

What is the capacity of Nishkam High School?

Nishkam High School had 700 school places in 2024/25.

Does Nishkam High School have a sixth form?

Yes, Nishkam High School has a sixth form with 200 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Nishkam High School?

At Nishkam High School, the average class had 22.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Nishkam High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Nishkam High School missed 5% of sessions (England 8%), and 11.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.