Open the map

Schools by area › Hertfordshire › Birchwood High School

Birchwood High School

Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–18 · Academy

Parsonage Lane, Bishop's Stortford CM23 5BD · birchwoodonline.co.uk · 01279 655936

On the mapSearch near CM23 5BD

Overview

Ofsted
No overall grade
2019 framework · inspected Jan 2025
GCSEs, 2024/25
46.1
average Attainment 8 score. Hertfordshire 50.6, England 46
Demand for places
0.6
first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
Pupils
1,417
94% of 1,500 places
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
18.2%
First language not English
13.3%
School census 2025/26
Trust
Birchwood High School

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Year 7 in September 2026, 96 families put the school first and 174 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 178 (Places 238)178September 2023: 152 (Places 204)152September 2024: 187 (Places 230)187September 2025: 123 (Places 211)123September 2026: 96 (Places 174)96Places 174
Year 7PlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 2026174960.6100%
September 2025Sept 20252111230.6100%
September 2024Sept 20242301870.898%
September 2023Sept 20232041520.7100%
September 2022Sept 20222381780.794%

Results

In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 46.1, and 41.6% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Hertfordshire it was 50.6, and across England 46.

In 2024/25 the average A level result was grade C+ (32.1 points per entry).

GCSE results

Attainment 8

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252016/17: 47.9 (England 46.3)47.92017/18: 49.3 (England 46.5)49.32018/19: 46.5 (England 46.7)46.52021/22: 48.2 (England 48.8)48.22022/23: 45.1 (England 46.3)45.12023/24: 48.1 (England 45.9)48.12024/25: 46.1 (England 46.0)46.1England 46.0
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
●46.146.0
▼41.6%45.4%
●64.2%64.8%
▼35.8%40.5%
●4.024.09

Where Year 11 leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
School sixth form50.2−2
Further education39.4+4
Other education1.7—
Apprenticeship1.7−0.7
Employment1.3−1.6
Not in a lasting destination3.9+0.6
Activity not captured1.7−0.2

A levels and other 16 to 18 results

A level average grade

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252015/16: 28.9 (England 30.5)C2016/17: 31.2 (England 31.1)C2017/18: 29.2 (England 32.1)C2018/19: 26.4 (England 32.9)C-2021/22: 33.9 (England 37.9)C+2022/23: 32.2 (England 34.2)C+2023/24: 32.2 (England 34.4)C+2024/25: 32.1 (England 35.0)C+England 35.0
2024/25TrendAverage gradeProgress
79 studentsC+ (32.1)Average +0.12
79 studentsC+ (32.1)Average +0.11
70 studentsDist- (32.4)Average +0.06
10%AAB or better
94.7%finished their course
Earlier years: A levelStudentsAverage gradeProgress
2023/2497C+ (32.2)-0.05
2022/2388C+ (32.2)—
2021/2286C+ (33.9)—
2018/1984C- (26.4)-0.24
2017/1875C (29.2)-0.31
2016/17113C (31.2)+0.14
2015/16130C (28.9)0.00

Where sixth-form leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
University44.5+1.3
Other education2.6+1.7
Apprenticeship10.1−0.1
Employment35.3−4.5
Not in a lasting destination3.40
Activity not captured4.2+1.7

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected Birchwood High School on 21 January 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.

Overall
No overall grade
Inspected
21 Jan 2025
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formGood

Previously: Good, graded inspection, Jun 2019

Earlier inspections

Before September 2019

  • Jun 2019Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • May 2017Requires improvement
    Outcomes for pupilsRequires improvement
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareGood
    Leadership and managementRequires improvement
    16 to 19 study programmesGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Jul 2015Requires improvement
    Outcomes for pupilsRequires improvement
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Leadership and managementRequires improvement
    16 to 19 study programmesGood

What parents said

76% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (275 replies, to 1 September 2025).

Recommend
76%
Replies
275
19% · 1 Sept 2025
Child is happy at school▼86% agreeEngland 89%
Child feels safe●88% agreeEngland 90%
Pupils are well behaved▼61% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations▼75% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well▼80% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▼60% agreeEngland 84%
Told how child is doing●83% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects▲95% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities▲96% agreeEngland 91%
Supports personal development▼74% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▼73% agreeEngland 77%

based on the 81% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▲56% agreeEngland 50%

based on the 32% who had a child bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▲74% agreeEngland 67%

based on 72 parents (26%) with SEND

Also near this school

All schools in Hertfordshire