The Birches School, Manchester
The Birches School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Manchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Birches School in detail
The Birches School in its own words
In its own words: "We respect one another • We expect mutual respect between staff, between students and between staff and pupils. • We aim to prepare young people for adult life through teaching the rights and responsibilities of being a member of a community."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Birches School are Lancasterian School (0.2 miles, Good); The Watkin Centre (1.4 miles, Requires improvement); Oakbrook School (1.5 miles); and Pioneer House High School (1.5 miles, Outstanding).
Lancasterian SchoolThe Watkin CentreOakbrook SchoolPioneer House High School
Who goes there
60.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 55.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (32%), Black (24%) and White British (19%).
Almost every pupil at The Birches School has an education, health and care plan (168 of 168 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
The Birches School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Burton Road (Manchester Metrolink), about 610 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Newholme Road, 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Birches School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
The Birches School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
60.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, SLD +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from The Birches School
Birches Got Talent 2026 Crowns Joint Winners in a Show Stopping Final
8 May 2026
Bouncing Back into Learning: Rebound Therapy Returns to The Birches
30 Mar 2026
Election Fever Takes Over School!
20 Feb 2026
Art Comes to Life at The Birches: Partnership with Manchester Art Gallery
12 Jan 2026
Sensory Christmas Party
19 Jan 2024
From The Birches School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Birches School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Birches School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Birches School is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
3 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,220
Applications
6,542
Got 1st preference
77.1%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
168
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Birches School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
168
Total Pupils
115
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
6.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,737
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.0%
Overall absence
33.1%
Persistent absence
160
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about The Birches School
What are SATs results like at The Birches School?
Of the pupils at The Birches School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is The Birches School's Ofsted rating?
The Birches School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Birches School?
No fixed boundary. When The Birches School is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Birches School?
The Birches School has around 168 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Birches School have specialist SEN provision?
The Birches School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at The Birches School?
10% of sessions were missed at The Birches School in 2024/25. 33.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Birches School?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming The Birches School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Birches School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 3 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Birches School?
The Birches School is at Newholme Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2XZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)