Birches First School, WOLVERHAMPTON
Birches First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Wolverhampton, part of Codsall Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Birches First School in detail
Birches First School in its own words
In its own words: "Our vision is for all children to develop secure foundations for lifelong success; to acquire knowledge as well as the skills needed to use and apply their knowledge in life."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, Lego and forest school.
The school runs after-school care until 5:30pm.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Birches First School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Birches First School as their first choice and 100 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Birches First School are St Christopher's Catholic Primary Academy (0.6 miles, 75% reading, 79% maths); Palmers Cross Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 76% maths); Lane Green First School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement); and Dovecotes Primary School (0.9 miles).
St Christopher's Catholic Primary AcademyPalmers Cross Primary SchoolLane Green First SchoolDovecotes Primary School
The trust
Birches First School is one of 3 schools run by Codsall Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
6.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (74%), Mixed (14%) and Asian (8%).
Birches First School has a resourced provision: 150 places, 149 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bilbrook Rail Station, about 720 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Birches Avenue (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Birches First School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Birches First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Birches First School are Codsall Community High School (0.6 miles), Aldersley High School (0.7 miles), Bilbrook CofE (VC) Middle School (0.7 miles) and Codsall Middle School (0.7 miles).
Codsall Community High SchoolAldersley High SchoolBilbrook CofE (VC) Middle SchoolCodsall Middle School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Staffordshire published that the last place for 2026 entry went to a family 1.877 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
6.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.2
Avg class size
30.3
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Birches First School
Term dates
Birches First School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Birches First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Birches First School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Birches First School
Will you get a place at Birches First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Birches First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Birches First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Birches First School.
- Last distance offered for 2025 and 2026 entry, from Staffordshire's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Birches First School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
149 pupils
150 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - WOLVERHAMPTON
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for WOLVERHAMPTON
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Birches First School has a resourced provision: 150 places, 149 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
175
Total Pupils
83
Boys
92
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,731
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,145
Per pupil
£843k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
9.0%
Persistent absence
122
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Birches First School
What is Birches First School's Ofsted rating?
Birches First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
How close to Birches First School do you need to live?
Staffordshire publishes how far the last offered place was, in miles: 0.727 for 2025 entry, then 1.877 for 2026 entry. The cut-off has loosened over that period, so places have been reaching further out. These are the authority's own figures, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications each year.
Is it hard to get a place at Birches First School?
Birches First School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Birches First School?
Classes at Birches First School average 29.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Birches First School?
Birches First School has around 175 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Birches First School have specialist SEN provision?
Birches First School has a resourced provision: 150 places, 149 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Birches First School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Birches First School in 2024/25. 9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Birches First School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Birches First School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Birches First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Birches First School?
Birches First School is at Birches Avenue, Codsall, WOLVERHAMPTON, West Midlands, WV8 2JG.
Sources: Staffordshire admissions booklets; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)