A REDDITCH school has been highlighted for outstanding performance right across the UK.
Birchensale Middle School’s name appears as an example of best practice and success in the education sector in The Parliamentary Review for 2019-20.
In an interview with headteacher Tim Jones it tells how Birchensale has gone from being an under-subscribed, low-performing school to become highly sought-after with a waiting list of pupils.
As the same time educational outcomes, sporting success and stakeholder satisfaction have hit new heights.
Speaking about being held up as a nationwide example of success Tim said: “I must admit I’m pretty chuffed.
“I believe they contacted a number of heads around the country and asked us to write a passage in the first person about our school and they then decided which ones were worth following up.”
Such has been Birchensale’s success it was picked out to be highlighted in the Review.
“It’s all down to fantastic team work,” said Tim.
“I may sit at the top of the tree but we have a fantastic team of staff, the loyalty of our community and doing the right thing at the right time for pupils and people.”
He added that for the first time in its history Birchensale is full with 600 pupils, supported by 30 teachers and 24 support staff.
One quote from Tim highlighted by the Review encapsulates the school’s ethos: “I wanted to remove barriers to learning so pupils could thrive in a school that celebrates achievement rather than highlights failure.”
The article closes with this comment: “Many schools lose the true meaning of “Every Child Matters” in rhetoric and dogma – at Birchensale we live it every day.”
Birchensale has seen attendance consistently above 95 per cent; Key Stage 2 SATS scores have increased year on year and 71 per cent of pupils were working at expected levels in reading, writing and maths, compared to 64 per cent nationally.
Ofsted graded the school ‘Good’ in all areas.
Earlier this year Birchensale joined with Holyoakes and Batchley Infant Schools and Trinity High School to form the Bordesley Multi-Academy Trust.
