St Birinus School is a mainstream secondary school in Didcot, Oxfordshire, for boys aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 257 of its 1,237 pupils (20.8%) were getting SEN support and 58 (4.7%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,237 pupils
- Boys only
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Oxfordshire.
20.8% get SEN support
257 of 1,237 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
Higher than the England average.
4.7% have an EHC plan
58 of 1,237 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Higher than the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health100
- Speech, language and communication59
- Moderate learning difficulty55
- Autism41
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia41
- Hearing impairment5
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys only
- Pupils
- 1,237 (places for 1,428)
- Headteacher
- Mr William Manning
- Part of
- Ridgeway Education Trust
- Free school meals
- 16.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Oxfordshire
- School reference (URN)
- 138762
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Oxfordshire council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, February 2025; school remains Good (February 2020)
Inspected in February 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, February 2020).
Contact and getting there
Mereland Road, Didcot, OX11 8AZ
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- The Unicorn School Independent · Ages 6–19 5.3 miles
- Kingfisher School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 5.3 miles
- Rush Common School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 5.5 miles
- Fitzharrys School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 5.8 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Willowcroft Community School Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 19.8%, EHC plans 5.8% 0.1 miles
- Northbourne Church of England Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 18.1%, EHC plans 3.5% 0.4 miles
- Manor Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 18.2%, EHC plans 7.2% 0.6 miles
All mainstream schools in Oxfordshire SEND schools in Oxfordshire
Questions about St Birinus School
How many pupils at St Birinus School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 257 of the 1,237 pupils (20.8%) were getting SEN support and 58 (4.7%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Birinus School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (100 pupils), speech, language and communication needs (59 pupils) and moderate learning difficulties (55 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Birinus School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Birinus School?
Through Oxfordshire council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Birinus School?
You can ask for St Birinus School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Birinus School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Rush Common School, about 5.5 miles away.
Where is St Birinus School?
Mereland Road, Didcot, OX11 8AZ, in Oxfordshire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), 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.