OFSTED
21 January 2025
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Not judged
OEIF
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Trust
BIRCHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,417
1,417 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
647
45.7% of pupils
Male pupils
770
54.3% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
9.0 pts
below England
School
15.8%
East Hertfordshire
10.6%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
7.0 pts
below England
School
13.3%
East Hertfordshire
9.1%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.5 pts
below England
School
0.5%
East Hertfordshire
0.7%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
74.5%
1,055
Any other White background
10.2%
144
White and Black Caribbean
2.3%
33
Any other Mixed background
1.8%
25
African
1.6%
23
White and Asian
1.6%
23
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
15.8%
224 of
1,417 pupils
5.0 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
2.9 pts
below
England
6.0%
2.2 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
46.1
6.9 pts
above England
Latest published: -0.08 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
10.22%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
4.00 pts
higher than
England
School
10.22%
East Hertfordshire
5.83%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
29.89%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
14.07 pts
higher than
England
School
29.89%
East Hertfordshire
14.32%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
5.05%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
3.24 pts
higher than
England
School
5.05%
East Hertfordshire
1.26%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
94.5%
2.1 pts
above England
Birchwood High School
94.5%
East Hertfordshire
94.9%
East of England
92.9%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.