Birchwood Primary School, Tamworth
Birchwood Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Tamworth, part of Community Academies Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 34 schools in Tamworth with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 108% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Warwickshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Birchwood Primary School in detail
Birchwood Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, choir, orchestra, ukulele, guitar and recorder.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Birchwood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 74% in Warwickshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Birchwood Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 83 families put Birchwood Primary School as their first choice and 139 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 24 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Birchwood Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Birchwood Primary School are Dordon Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 55% reading, 52% maths); The Nethersole CofE Academy (1 mile, Requires improvement, 78% reading, 69% maths); Three Peaks Primary Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 69% reading, 78% maths); and Stoneydelph Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 73% maths).
Birchwood Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Dordon Primary SchoolThe Nethersole CofE AcademyThree Peaks Primary AcademyStoneydelph Primary School
The trust
Birchwood Primary School is one of 17 schools run by Community Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
86 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Birchwood Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 76% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (76%).
Who goes there
13.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Birchwood Primary School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Birchwood Primary School had 30 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Polesworth Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Birchwood Primary School (adjacent), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Birchwood Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Birchwood Primary School is highly aspirational and ensures every child receives an excellent start to their education. Staff hold very high expectations for all pupils and create a nurturing environment where everyone is welcomed and supported to succeed. The school goes above and beyond to provide rich, memorable experiences that broaden children's horizons and help them develop a genuine passion for learning.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious curriculum with clear identification of knowledge that helps pupils retain and build on learning over time
- Expert support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to access the same curriculum as their peers
- Strong focus on reading from early years, with regular phonics practice and rapid catch-up support
- Wide range of enrichment opportunities including extra-curricular clubs, trips, and 'world of work week' to raise aspirations
- Exemplary pupil behaviour driven by school values of consideration and respect
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
BASE Skills Academy (staff-led skills-based activities), extra-curricular clubs, trips, world of work week, house captain competitions, school council activities
Birchwood Primary School is an outstanding school where pupils flourish and achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum. The school is highly aspirational, with excellent behaviour, personal development, and early years provision.
At a Glance
13.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
86 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 83% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
32.2
Avg class size
30.2
Infant (KS1)
33.8
KS2
14
Total classes
9 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Birchwood Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Birchwood Primary School.
- Birchwood Pre-School & After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Birchwood Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Warwickshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Birchwood Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Birchwood Primary School is in Warwickshire; for families living there:
- Warwickshire's school travel policy: Free school transport for students under the age of 16
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Warwickshire is 7 (the median across 286 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 Birchwood Primary School
Will you get a place at Birchwood Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Birchwood Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Birchwood Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Birchwood Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Warwickshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Birchwood Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Warwickshire 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
108%
Over capacity
453 pupils
420 places
33 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Tamworth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tamworth
Across Warwickshire council
Places available
7,199
Applications
6,281
Got 1st preference
88.1%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Warwickshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
16.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Birchwood Primary School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
451
Total Pupils
206
Boys
245
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,367
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2446k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
5.8%
Persistent absence
395
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
Birchwood Primary School
Questions parents ask about Birchwood Primary School
What are SATs results like at Birchwood Primary School?
Of the pupils at Birchwood Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is Birchwood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Birchwood Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Birchwood Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Birchwood Primary School is oversubscribed, Warwickshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Birchwood Primary School?
Birchwood Primary School was full in 2025, at 108% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Birchwood Primary School?
Classes at Birchwood Primary School average 32.2 pupils (2025/26). 9 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Birchwood Primary School?
Birchwood Primary School has around 451 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Birchwood Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Birchwood Primary School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Birchwood Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Birchwood Primary School in 2024/25. 5.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Birchwood Primary School?
Apply through Warwickshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Birchwood Primary 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.
Does Birchwood Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Birchwood Pre-School & After School Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Birchwood Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Warwickshire is 7 (the median across 286 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Birchwood Primary School?
Birchwood Primary School is at Birchwood Avenue, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 1QU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)