Birchwood Primary School

Birchwood Primary School is performing exceptionally strongly across all areas. Inspectors found that pupils flourish from the early years onwards, achieve exceptionally well across an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, and display exemplary behaviour rooted in the school’s values of consideration and respect. Support for pupils’ personal development is exceptional, with a wide range of enrichment and leadership opportunities that pupils value. The school has a clear, ambitious curriculum that is implemented expertly and adapted well for all pupils, including those with SEND. Reading is prioritised from the start, and pupils who fall behind receive effective support to catch up. Leadership is strong, with staff, trust leaders, governors and parents sharing a clear vision; staff morale is high and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014, when it was judged outstanding and subsequently exempt from routine inspection. The school is part of Community Academies Trust and, under the current framework, has not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. No significant concerns were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Children receive an excellent start to their education in the early years.
• Staff hold very high expectations and the school is highly aspirational for all pupils.
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well across a broad, ambitious curriculum.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and the school culture is purposeful and respectful.
• Support for pupils’ personal development is exceptional, with rich enrichment and leadership opportunities.
• The curriculum clearly identifies essential knowledge and helps pupils retain and build on learning over time.
• Curriculum implementation is expert and learning is adapted well for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Reading is prioritised from the start, with strong phonics support and assessment.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and learn the same curriculum as their peers.
• Leadership, trust and governance provide strong support and challenge, and staff morale is high.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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 Primary School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Birchwood 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 Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.0% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Birchwood Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 5 pupils.

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 2024–25 Birchwood Primary School received £6,044 and spent £6,111 for each of its 453 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £325,000 (£718 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Community Academies Trust, income was £7,309 and spending £7,301 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Tamworth · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

Birchwood Primary School is part of Community Academies Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• The Polesworth School Tamworth
• Dordon Primary School Tamworth
• Stoneydelph Primary School Tamworth
• The Wilnecote School Tamworth
• Wood End Primary School Atherstone
• The Woodlands Community Primary School Tamworth
• Millfield Primary School Tamworth
• Chadsmead Primary Academy Lichfield
• Woodloes Primary School Warwick
• Budbrooke Primary School Warwick

What is Birchwood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Birchwood Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Birchwood Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Birchwood Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Birchwood Primary School have?

Birchwood Primary School has 451 pupils on roll.

What age range does Birchwood Primary School cover?

Birchwood Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Birchwood Primary School?

Birchwood Primary School is at Birchwood Avenue, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 1QU.