Birchwood Community High School

State school · Mixed · ages 11–16 · no sixth formWarrington, Warrington WA3school website

Four in five Year 11 leavers stay in education, in line with the England rate; most to a further education college (41%).

Where this school leads
82%

of Year 11 leavers stayed in education · Warrington 87% · England 86% · DfE destination measures, pupils who left in 2023

Knowledge sphere of Birchwood Community High School: fields of knowledge mapped by the subjects taken here, by ISCED levelLanguage & Communication · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Language & Communication · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 55%Language & Communication · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 47%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Natural Sciences · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 38%Natural Sciences · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 6%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 33%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Health & Safety · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 39%Health & Safety · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Business & Administration · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 4%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 16%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Transversal Skills · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 19%Transversal Skills · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 44%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%LanguageMathsScienceICTEngineeringHealthBusinessLawSocialArtsTransversalGreen
Ofsted
Inspected
Places
—
Pupils
875
Free school meals
41.9%

Ofsted: Short inspection, 10 December 2024: see the report · report. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from Warrington’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 1,050 places. Free school meals: pupils eligible, a measure of family income.

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Birchwood Community High School (URN 111444, until 1 July 2013).

After Year 11 · age 16

Where do pupils go at 16?

82%stayed in education after Year 11
This school82%
Warrington87%
England86%

DfE Key Stage 4 destination measures · 138 pupils who left Year 11 in 2023

Birchwood Community High School has no sixth form. Of the 138 pupils who finished Year 11 there in 2023, 38% moved to a sixth form college, 41% to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.

Stayed in education — counted only if the pupil was still there for two terms of the next year; apprenticeships and jobs are counted the same way.

Full breakdown11
MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Pupils in the cohort1382,547607,348
Any sustained destination91%93%92%
Stayed in education82%87%86%
— school sixth form1%12%34%
— sixth form college38%42%13%
— further education college41%32%37%
— other education2%2%2%
Apprenticeship4%3%3%
Employment5%2%3%
No sustained destination7%5%6%
Destination unknown1%2%3%
Universities · named

Which universities did they go to?

1university has told us how many applied, were offered a place and enrolled

Named universities — most schools do not publish this; the official DfE figures above only say how many went to university and how selective those universities were.

universities’ answers to sch.today’s Freedom of Information requests · request tracker

What universities’ own admissions data say1

For each entry year: how many of this school’s students applied, received an offer and enrolled. Counts under five are shown as “<5” to protect individuals. Applications exclude Clearing; enrolments are students who completed registration.

UniversityEntry yearAppliedOffersEnrolled
University of Bristol2023<5——

A university’s enrolment count and a school’s own destinations list can differ: the school counts places accepted in the summer, the university counts students registered in the autumn.

GCSE · Year 11 · 2025

How do GCSE results compare?

47.9Attainment 8 score, out of 90
This school47.9
Warrington48.5
England46.1

Attainment 8 — average GCSE points across eight subjects, English and maths counted twice; grade 5 in everything scores 50.

DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · 154 pupils in Year 11

33% of pupils here are disadvantaged (England 28%). Disadvantaged pupils here scored 40.1 — above disadvantaged pupils across England (34.9).

43% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (Warrington 48%, England 45%).

Grade 5 — a “strong pass”; grade 4 is a “standard pass”. Progress 8 is not published for 2025: this cohort had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020–21, so there is no baseline.

All GCSE measures10
MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)47.948.546.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths43%48%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths70%69%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects51%46%41%
EBacc average point score4.354.344.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort33%22%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils40.135.234.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils51.752.350.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)———
English as an additional language16%14%19%
Subjects · 2025

What do pupils study?

63.27%of the Key Stage 3 and GCSE curriculum mapped by the subjects taken here

Mapped — the share of the 2,029 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.

DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today

Statistics stands out at GCSE — 94% of the year group took it, against 5% across England.

Language & Communication55%
Mathematics & Statistics47%
Green & Sustainability44%
Health & Safety39%
Natural Sciences38%

Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.

GCSE subjects21

Entries as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics154100%88%21%22%80%
English Language154100%89%12%20%68%
English Literature15399%86%8%21%69%
Statistics14594%5%17%20%74%
Combined Science13286%65%11%9%65%
Geography7649%41%17%25%62%
History7448%41%26%26%62%
Spanish4127%19%17%27%54%
French3321%18%12%29%64%
Biology2114%23%33%45%90%
Food Preparation and Nutrition2114%8%5%21%43%
Chemistry2114%23%29%47%95%
Physics2114%23%19%46%90%
Computer Science1711%13%41%30%82%
Art and Design1610%7%44%24%81%
Textiles1510%2%13%27%67%
Chinese96%1%100%75%100%
Polish85%1%63%84%88%
Drama75%7%29%27%100%
Music64%5%33%33%100%
Religious Studies32%31%—32%—
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications6
SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Studies65——
Engineering Studies59——
Small Business Management58——
Health Studies27——
Computer Appreciation / Introduction27——
Dance: General12——
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Language & Communication65%
Green & Sustainability54%
Mathematics & Statistics53%
Natural Sciences50%
Health & Safety49%
Engineering & Manufacturing39%
Transversal Skills31%
Arts & Humanities24%
Digital & ICT Skills20%
Social & Cultural Skills8%
Law & Public Administration8%
Business & Administration3%

Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:

fraction 16.0percentage 10.7ratio 10.6vocabulary 9.8gradient 8.9translation 8.2equation 7.9power 7.7reflection 7.6bias 7.2particle model 7.1root 7.0grammar 7.0audience 6.8scale 6.5energy transfer 6.3area 6.2hypothesis 6.2standard form 6.1formulae 6.0impact 6.0theoretical probability 5.9evidence 5.7prediction 5.6

Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.

Careers

Which jobs use what’s taught here?

12apprenticeship standards closely match the subjects pupils take

A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.

Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.

Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works

Water industry asset maintenance technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses ratio, area, unit conversion from Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and 7 more · jobs: consumer electronics repair technician, industrial electrician, electrician
ScientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conclusion, data interpretation, sampling technique from Biology, Chemistry, Geography and 4 more · jobs: physicist, analytical chemist, geneticist
Process industry manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses pressure, conservation of mass, energy change from Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and 3 more · jobs: chemical engineering technician, chemical manufacturing quality technician, chemical production manager
More apprenticeships9
Geoscientist (integrated degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses data interpretation, data collection, climate change from Biology, Chemistry, Geography and 4 more · jobs: geologist, geological engineer, exploration geologist
Data technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · digital · uses mean, integer, outlier from Computer Science, English Language, Geography and 4 more · jobs: data analyst, database administrator, data scientist
Science manufacturing technician 2023Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, graph, pressure from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and 2 more · jobs: pharmaceutical engineer, chemical manufacturing quality technician, pharmacy technician
Battery manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses area, unit conversion, volume from Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and 2 more · jobs: battery test technician
Improvement technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · business and administration · uses pie chart, histogram, performance analysis from Geography, Mathematics, Statistics and 1 more · jobs: health safety and environmental manager , occupational health and safety inspector, health and safety inspector
Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialistLevel 7 degree apprenticeship · digital · uses data collection, reliability, bias from Biology, Computer Science, English Language and 4 more · jobs: ICT intelligent systems designer
Improvement specialistLevel 5 (higher) apprenticeship · business and administration · uses prediction, correlation, sample size from Biology, Geography, Mathematics and 1 more · jobs: business consultant, environmental engineer, civil engineer
Digital and technology solutions professionalLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · digital · uses conclusion, evaluation, data collection from Biology, Computer Science, English Literature and 5 more · jobs: business analyst, ICT consultant, business economics researcher
Non-destructive technologies technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses ratio, measurement, data interpretation from Biology, Geography, Mathematics and 3 more
Admissions

How do you get a place?

The last distance at which Birchwood Community High School offered Year 7 places is not yet on file; it comes from Warrington’s allocation statistics.

  1. 31 OctApply to Warrington in Year 6 for a Year 7 place
  2. 1 MarNational Offer Day
Warrington

Compare with nearby schools

Stayed in education at 16 · Attainment 8 · pupils

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.