The school is named after William Bernard Ullathorne (1806–1889), the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Birmingham.

The school currently has approximately 970 pupils, and includes a sixth form college.

Bishop Ullathorne School has a good academic record and in 2012–13 91% of GCSE students gained 5 A*-C passes.

[2] Students come from a wide range of backgrounds as the school draws in Catholics from around the city.

[4] Although relatively small, the school has a rich history in sport, football, gymnastics, cross country and rugby.