Birley Primary Academy

About Birley Primary Academy

Birley Primary Academy in Sheffield is a school that parents clearly rate highly. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering responses from September 2024 to September 2025, a striking 97% of the 36 parents who responded said they would recommend the school to others. That level of endorsement is backed up by strong individual scores: every single parent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school and feels safe there. The school is also popular on the ground. For entry in 2025/26, Birley received 79 applications for just 49 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.61. All 45 first-preference applicants were offered a place, meaning that while it is oversubscribed, families who put it top of their list have a solid chance of getting in. The school is led by headteacher Dawn McAughey and caters for children from age 2 to 11, with nursery provision available on site.

Academically, Birley’s most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 rated the school as Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. This marks a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2013, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 46% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is below the Sheffield local authority average of 57%, and places Birley 82nd out of 106 primary schools in the area. Looking at individual subjects, 64% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and maths, with average scores of 103 and 102 respectively. Higher attainment is less common: just 2% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, and 9% did so in maths. The school’s national ranking for combined expected standard places it in the bottom half of all primary schools.

Birley Primary Academy offers a broad range of facilities including a library, music rooms, art studios, an ICT suite, a sports hall, playing fields and a forest school. There is a strong selection of clubs on offer, from art and book club to science, film, drama and chess, and pupils can take part in sports such as athletics, swimming, tennis, rounders and gymnastics. The school has extensive SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the Parent View data suggests some mixed feelings among parents on this front: while 55% strongly agreed that SEND children get the support they need, 18% disagreed. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded local primary with strong parent satisfaction, a clear improvement trajectory under its current leadership, and a wide range of enrichment opportunities, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing schools in the area.

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