Birkdale School
Oakholme Road, Sheffield, S10 3DH
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Christian
- Head Master
- Mr Ben Bowles
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Constituency
- Sheffield Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 873
- Pupils on roll
- 721
- URN
- 107163
- Local authority
- Sheffield
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01142668408
About this school
Birkdale School is a Christian independent school in Sheffield. It teaches children aged 4 to 19 and has 721 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Birkdale School under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Birkdale School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in January 1956, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 69 | 73 | 68 |
| Attainment 8 score | 69.1 | 56.0 | 43.7 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 96% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 97% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 67% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 6.4 | 5.3 | 4.4 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Birkdale School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Sheffield average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 69.1 | 40.9 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 56 | 39.3 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 43.7 | 40 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 793 |
| 2023/24 | 746 |
| 2024/25 | 712 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 3
- Pupils on SEN support
- 46
Location
Nearby schools
-
Westbourne School0.2 miles
Independent schools · Sheffield
-
Sheffield High School GDST0.3 miles
Independent schools · Sheffield
-
Kenwood Academy0.8 miles
Academies · Sheffield
-
University of Sheffield0.8 miles
Universities · Sheffield
-
Brantwood Garden School0.9 miles
Special schools · Sheffield
Other schools in Sheffield
- Bethany School Independent schools
- Mylnhurst Preparatory School and Nursery Independent schools
- Sheffield High School GDST Independent schools
- Westbourne School Independent schools
- Aughton Early Years Centre Nursery
- Broomhall Nursery School Nursery
- Grace Owen Nursery School Nursery
- Abbey Lane Primary School Primary
- Abbeyfield Primary Academy Primary
- Acres Hill Community Primary School Primary
- Angram Bank Primary School Primary
- Anns Grove Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Birkdale School teach?
- Birkdale School teaches children aged 4 to 19. It is an independent school in Sheffield.
- Who is the head master of Birkdale School?
- The head master of Birkdale School is Mr Ben Bowles, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Birkdale School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Birkdale School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How many pupils are at Birkdale School?
- Birkdale School has 721 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 19.
- Is Birkdale School full?
- Birkdale School has capacity for 873 pupils and 721 on roll (83%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Birkdale School a faith school?
- Yes. Birkdale School is designated Christian.
- Is Birkdale School a selective school?
- Yes. Birkdale School is recorded as Selective in the schools register, so entry involves selection.
- How have Birkdale School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 69.1 in 2022/23 and 43.7 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Birkdale School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Birkdale School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.