Previously a foundation school administered by Birmingham City Council, Holyhead School converted to academy status in August 2011. The school became part of the RSA Academies Trust in September 2014,[1] but continues to coordinate with Birmingham City Council for admissions for its Year 7 intake. On 1 January 2021, Holyhead School joined Central Region Schools Trust.
In 2014, the school was described as "outstanding" by Ofsted, which stated that "achievement in mathematics has been consistently outstanding".[2] The school's continuing achievements in Mathematics had also recently been further recognised when the department had been nominated for the "TES Maths department of the Year 2015/16" award.[3]
Holyhead School offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils, while students in the sixth form have the option to study from a range of A-levels and further BTECs.[4]
In January 2017, long standing principal Martin Bayliss and colleague Amanda Cottam retired after 17 and 38 years teaching at the school respectively. After a long recruitment process, it was decided that the then Head of Key Stage 3, Ross Trafford, would be promoted to the role.[5] When Holyhead joined Central Region Schools Trust, Dave Knox was made Head of School as Ross Trafford took on duties as Executive Principal at Holyhead & Gospel Oak.
