Birchwood Community High School

About Birchwood Community High School

Birchwood Community High School is a mixed, non-denominational state secondary in Warrington, serving pupils from 11 to 16. It sits 10th out of 13 schools of its type in the local authority, placing it in the bottom half of the area’s performance table. For context, the top-performing peers in Warrington are Lymm High School, King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, and Bridgewater High School, all of which rank higher on Progress 8. The school is led by headteacher Emma Mills and has 889 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,050, meaning there is some room for growth. It is heavily oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 314 applications for 134 places and 116 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.34. That level of demand suggests it holds a strong reputation locally, even if its academic ranking doesn’t place it among the top tier in the borough.

Academically, Birchwood’s Progress 8 score of -0.37 is below the Warrington local authority average of -0.29 and is classified as ‘Below average’ nationally. Its Attainment 8 score stands at 42.9, and 54% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though that drops to 36.6% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.5, with only 8.1% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024, the school was judged Good across all graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2018, though the 2024 inspection did not assign an overall effectiveness grade. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils must move on after Year 11.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, science labs, astro turf, tennis courts, and a chapel, alongside sports such as rowing, rugby, and martial arts. Clubs include drama, choir, orchestra, debate, and eco club. SEND provision covers eight categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. However, the Parent View responses, based on 56 respondents, show some notable concerns: only 36% of parents agreed that SEND children get the support they need, and 41% disagreed. On the positive side, 79% would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that children are happy, safe, and well-behaved. This is a school that suits families who value a Good-rated, oversubscribed local option with decent facilities and a wide activity offer, but who may want to investigate SEND support further before applying.

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