The Birches School is a council-run special school in Manchester for children and young people aged 4 to 11. It supports speech and language, autism, severe learning and 1 other need.
- Ages 4–11
- 168 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 168
- Headteacher
- Mr Rob O'Hara (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 60.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Manchester
- School reference (URN)
- 105613
Needs it supports
4 needs: speech and language, autism and 2 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Manchester (22)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Manchester (20)
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Manchester (12)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Manchester (7)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Manchester council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, May 2024; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (July 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in May 2024.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, July 2023).
Contact and getting there
Newholme Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2XZ
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Lancasterian School Special school · Ages 3–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Manchester Secondary PRU Alternative provision · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.7 miles
- Old Moat Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.8 miles
All SEND schools in Manchester
By need in Manchester: Autism (23) · Speech and language (21) · SEMH (15) · Severe learning (13) · Moderate learning (9) · Hearing (9) · PMLD (8) · Dyslexia and SpLD (8) · Vision (7) · Physical (6) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about The Birches School
How do I get a place at The Birches School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult The Birches School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does The Birches School support?
Speech, language and communication, autism, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Birches School take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is The Birches School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is The Birches School?
Newholme Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2XZ, in Manchester.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.