Birchwood School, Birchwood
Birchwood School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Birchwood. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Birchwood School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Birchwood School are Green Lane Community Special School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); Woolston Brook School (1.3 miles, Good); Fox Wood Special School (1.4 miles, Good); and Chaigeley School (2.2 miles, Good).
Green Lane Community Special SchoolWoolston Brook SchoolFox Wood Special SchoolChaigeley School
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Birchwood School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Birchwood School has an education, health and care plan (35 of 35 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Birchwood Rail Station, about 310 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ainscough Road (cnr), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Birchwood School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 53 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Warrington (96).
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Birchwood School specialises in supporting pupils with autism and has created a calm, nurturing environment where staff know each pupil well. The school takes a thorough, personalised approach to learning - adapting teaching to match each child's needs and abilities while building their confidence and independence. Staff are carefully selected and well-trained, and the school is expanding gradually to maintain quality without disrupting the experience for current pupils.
Key Strengths
- Well-designed curriculum matched to pupils' cognition and learning needs with clear knowledge progression
- Strong focus on developing pupils' independence and life skills through embedded PSHE education
- Rigorous staff recruitment and thorough pre-employment checks with secure single central record
- Excellent risk assessment procedures tailored to individual pupils' needs
- Secure premises with appropriate facilities and separate toilet provision for boys and girls
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a comprehensive safeguarding policy incorporating recent statutory guidance with clear staff direction on responding to risk of harm.
Extracurricular Activities
Physical education, grassed outdoor spaces for breaktimes
Birchwood School is an independent special school for pupils with autism aged 5-19, and is likely to meet independent school standards if its material changes are approved.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Birchwood School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Warrington is 11 (the median across 96 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
44%
Available places
35 pupils
80 places
45 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Birchwood
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birchwood
Across Warrington council
Places available
2,880
Applications
2,620
Got 1st preference
88.9%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Warrington council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Birchwood School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
35
Total Pupils
26
Boys
9
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Birchwood School
What is Birchwood School's Ofsted rating?
Birchwood School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2025, it was rated Good.
Does Birchwood School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, Birchwood School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Birchwood School?
Birchwood School has around 35 pupils on roll.
Does Birchwood School have specialist SEN provision?
Birchwood School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Birchwood School?
Birchwood School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Birchwood School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Warrington is 11 (the median across 96 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Birchwood School?
Birchwood School is at Ainscough Road, Birchwood, Birchwood, WA3 7PW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)