Birches Head Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Birches Head Road Hanley Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire ST2 8DD |
| Phone | 01782233595 |
| Reference Number | 148220 |
Birches Head Academy has been rated inadequate overall, marking its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school faces significant challenges, particularly concerning pupil behaviour and attendance, with reports of bullying and discrimination undermining the safety and well-being of students. While the curriculum is ambitious, there are concerns regarding the consistency in teaching and the support provided to teachers, especially for those working with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents have mixed feelings about the school's efforts to engage with them on these issues.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 953 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 52.68%
Girls: 47.32% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 36.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 27% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 84 | 73 | 157 |
| 8 | 107 | 92 | 199 |
| 9 | 103 | 92 | 195 |
| 10 | 100 | 99 | 199 |
| 11 | 108 | 95 | 203 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 57.1% |
| White, Other | 8.3% |
| African | 8.3% |
| Pakistani | 7.5% |
| Asian, Other | 2% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.5% |
| White & Asian | 1.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.9% |
| Chinese | 0.4% |
| Indian | 0.2% |
| Caribbean | 0.2% |
| Unclassified | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Inadequate |
| > Quality of education | Requires Improvement |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Inadequate |
| > Personal Development | Requires Improvement |
| > Leadership & Management | Requires Improvement |
| Last Report Date | 03 Oct 2023 |
Strengths
- The curriculum is ambitious and well-planned.
- Pupils generally work well and focus on their learning during lessons.
- There is a well-planned programme of personal, social, and health education.
- Some pupils have positively engaged with the 'Be More' curriculum.
- Pupils receive suitable careers education, preparing them for future employment.
Areas for Improvement
- Inadequate behaviour management leading to bullying and discrimination.
- High rates of pupil absence affect educational progress.
- Inconsistent application of assessment leading to disengagement.
- Poor confidence in leaders' ability to resolve bullying issues.
- Lack of accurate governance oversight impacts support and challenge for leaders.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 31.3 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 17.1% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 33.2% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 58 | 13 |
| Third Preference | 36 | 5 |
| From another Local Authority | 3 | 1 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
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