Birchwood CofE Primary School

Birchwood CofE Primary School has shown notable improvement under the new leadership of the headteacher, who has made significant changes to ensure a positive learning environment. The school provides a good education, focusing on engaging students and fostering strong relationships between pupils and staff. Most students feel safe, happy, and well-supported, thriving academically and socially. The commitment to inclusivity, especially for pupils with special educational needs, is commendable, and the school community—including parents—holds it in high regard. While the school performs well in multiple areas, there are still opportunities for growth. The leadership recognizes the need to consolidate recent improvements and ensure that monitoring of subjects like physical education, modern foreign languages, and music is improved. Additionally, enhancing the reading culture in the school environment and strengthening partnerships with parents in the early years will be crucial for sustaining progress. Overall, Birchwood CofE Primary is on a positive trajectory, backed by strong leadership and a supportive community.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and are happy at school
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff
• Ambitious teaching that makes learning interesting
• Good achievement across a range of subjects
• Effective teaching of phonics
• High-quality texts available for pupils
• Inclusive practices for pupils with SEND
• High parental satisfaction and trust in the school
• Pupils have high aspirations
• Good early years provision

Areas for Improvement

• Need for improved monitoring in PE, modern foreign languages, and music
• Reading culture is not promoted effectively in the learning environment
• Weak partnership with parents in the early years

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Birchwood CofE Primary School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.0% of pupils at Birchwood CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Birchwood CofE Primary School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.8% of pupils at Birchwood CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Birchwood CofE Primary School received £9,350 and spent £9,187 for each of its 157 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £26,000 (£164 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Warrington · Warrington local authority: places and applications

What is Birchwood CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Birchwood CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Birchwood CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Birchwood CofE Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Birchwood CofE Primary School have?

Birchwood CofE Primary School has 157 pupils on roll.

What age range does Birchwood CofE Primary School cover?

Birchwood CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Birchwood CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Birchwood CofE Primary School?

Birchwood CofE Primary School is at The Mount, Admirals Road, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6QG.