The Birley Academy, Sheffield

In its own words: "We want The Birley Academy to be the school of choice in our region, showcasing excellent teaching, and providing our pupils with an exemplary education and school experience. We will not rest, as we know we can always be better. These values are central to the behaviour system and to our rewards."

Coming up: an open evening on Monday 1 March 2027 and an open evening on Tuesday 6 July 2027 at 5.30pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at The Birley Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.6 in Sheffield and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Sheffield and 47% in England.

That is up from 37.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.28: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.2, against 46.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and French.

For September 2026 entry, 211 families put The Birley Academy as their first choice and 335 named it as one of their preferences, for 226 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Birley Academy are Outwood Academy City (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.1); Sheffield Springs Academy (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.4); Handsworth Grange Community Sports College (2.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39.6); and Sheffield Park Academy (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.4).

The Birley Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

The Birley Academy is one of 27 schools run by L.e.a.d. Academy Trust, an academy trust.

116 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Birley Academy (as of September 2025): 72% would recommend the school, 78% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (83%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).

Of the 201 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 60% to a further education college, 11% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

35.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 10.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%), Black (6%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 176 pupils (16.6%) received SEN support and 73 (6.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The Birley Academy has a resourced provision for autism: 20 places, 19 pupils on roll.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Birley Lane Platform to Halfway, about 250 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thornbridge Road/Birley Moor Drive (opposite), 150 metres away.

In 2024/25, The Birley Academy issued 751 suspensions, 67.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 13 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Birley Academy are Birley Primary Academy (0.1 miles), Charnock Hall Primary Academy (0.7 miles), Ridgeway Primary School (0.7 miles) and Birley Spa Primary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.