Special school in Birmingham, Solihull
Merstone School
Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0UE
Ofsted
Inspected under the current framework, which gives no overall grade, on 24 March 2026.
Inspections since September 2024 do not give an overall grade, so there is no one-word judgement to report. The full report sets out what inspectors found.
Exam results
Special schools serve pupils whose needs the standard measures were not designed to describe, so results are not shown or ranked here.
Pupils
- Pupils on roll
- 166
- Places
- 166
- How full
- Full — 166 pupils against 166 places
- Girls / boys
- 48 / 118
- Overall absence
- 13%
- Persistently absent
- 43%
England 5.8%
England 14.7% — pupils missing 10% or more of sessions
- Free school meals, last 6 years
- 60%
- English as an additional language
- 6%
- With an EHC plan
- 100%
- On SEN support
- 0%
England 25.7%
England 18.7%
England 3.5%
England 15%
The neighbourhood around the school
Census 2021 figures for Solihull 004C, the statistical neighbourhood the school sits in — roughly 1,500 residents. It describes the area, not the pupils, who may travel in from further away.
- Adults with a degree
- 16%
- Adults with no qualifications
- 30%
- Households owning their home
- 67%
- Households in social housing
- 22%
- Households with no car
- 23%
- Adults economically inactive
- 42%
England 33.8%
England 18.3%
England 62.7%
England 17%
England 21.9%
England 39.9%
School details
- Type
- Community special school
- Phase
- Special
- Ages
- Ages 2–19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Nursery
- Yes
- Boarding
- Day school
- Headteacher
- Headteacher: Kieran Ryan-Grealish
- Local authority
- Solihull
- Ward
- Smith's Wood
- Constituency
- Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
- URN
- 104133
The unique reference number used in all official school data.
Nearest special schools
| School | Ofsted | Attainment 8 | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Oak SchoolCommunity special school | Outstanding 2024 | — | 0 mi |
| SILVER BIRCH SCHOOLOther independent special school | No grade | — | 1.1 mi |
| Beaufort SchoolCommunity special school | Inadequate 2023 | — | 2.6 mi |
| Braidwood School for the DeafFoundation special school | No grade | — | 3 mi |
| New Horizon AcademyOther independent special school | No grade | — | 4.5 mi |
| Trident Alternative Provision LtdOther independent special school | No grade | — | 4.5 mi |
| R.Y.A.N Education Academy Vocational CentreOther independent special school | No grade | — | 4.7 mi |
| The Island Project SchoolOther independent special school | No grade | — | 4.7 mi |
Where these figures come from
- School details, address and pupil numbers — Get Information About Schools, the DfE register, as at 14 August 2026.
- Exam results — DfE performance tables, 2024/25.
- Free school meals, EAL and SEN — school census, 2024/25.
- Ofsted — Ofsted management information, latest inspections as at 30 June 2026.
- Neighbourhood figures — ONS Census 2021, lower layer super output area.
All published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. If something here looks wrong, the school's own website is the authority on admissions and open days.