Birkenshaw Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Bradford

Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.0km)Possible (~1.4km)Unlikely (~1.9km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Rebecca Martin
Pupils:457 / 420 capacity
LA:Kirklees
Phone:01274651232
Address:Station Lane, Birkenshaw, Bradford, BD11 2JE
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 5 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 14 April 2026View full report
URN:107730
UKPRN:10075955
Diocese:Diocese of Leeds (ce)
Constituency:Spen Valley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Birkenshaw is a caring school where children thrive both academically and emotionally. Pupils are polite, respectful and proud to come to school, with excellent attendance and behaviour. The school excels at including all learners and providing tailored support, ensuring most pupils are well-prepared for secondary school in reading, writing and maths.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent behaviour, attendance and positive attitudes to learning across the school
  • Strong pastoral support and inclusion culture - pupils feel safe and supported
  • Well-sequenced curriculum in core subjects with effective teaching
  • Established routines and clear expectations create a calm, productive learning environment
  • Wide range of enrichment activities and clubs available to all pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Some younger pupils do not receive quick enough support to close gaps in their knowledge
  • In a small number of subjects, curriculum plans do not match classroom learning
  • Staff do not always check if adaptations for struggling pupils are working effectively
  • Early years curriculum does not always consider children's starting points, limiting ambition for some
  • Pupils' understanding of protected characteristics and British values is less secure in some cases

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

LEGO club, choir, archery, coding, music tuition, sporting competitions, remembrance parade, visits to places of worship

Birkenshaw Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a caring community where pupils enjoy strong attendance, excellent behaviour, and positive relationships. The school is ambitious for all learners and provides effective support, though some younger pupils need quicker help to close knowledge gaps.

At a Glance

6.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+4ppMaths+7ppWriting+2pp

Reading has improved from 83% to 87%. Maths has improved from 82% to 89%. Writing has remained stable at around 85%.

Class Sizes

30.7

Avg class size

30.2

Infant (KS1)

30.9

KS2

15

Total classes

7 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Brown Hill Drive
333m · 5 min walk
Russell Grove
360m · 6 min walk
Birkenshaw Town St (SW bound)
364m · 6 min walk
Birkenshaw Co-op
419m · 7 min walk
Moorlands Road
480m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

109%

Over capacity

457 pupils

420 capacity

37 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Bradford

Low pressure
New homes approved:9,205
Projected new pupils:2,301

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bradford

Admissions Demand - Kirklees

Low demand0.82x oversubscription

Places available

5,606

Applications

4,584

Got 1st preference

93.6%

Got preferred school

99.0%

Primary admissions across Kirklees (2025/26)

Inspection History(9)

14 April 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
27 April 2022
6 December 2016
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.72283%

Overall absence

4.87805%

Persistent absence

369

Enrolments

Authorised2.78742%
Unauthorised0.93541%
Persistent (10%+)4.87805%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.66777%
18/19
2.31756%
20/21
4.96835%
21/22
4.33261%
22/23
4.31103%
23/24
3.72283%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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