Birchwood High School Catchment Area
Birchwood High School is an academy converter secondary school in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire , serving pupils aged 11-18, with 1454 pupils, and a capacity of 1500 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
11-18
Age range
1,454
Pupils
1,500
Capacity
97%
Fill rate
Birchwood High School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Birchwood High School?
The catchment area for Birchwood High School is the geographic zone Hertfordshire uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Hertfordshire publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
As an academy, Birchwood High School sets its own admissions criteria, agreed with Hertfordshire. The catchment area boundary is defined in the school's annual admissions policy, which may differ from the LA's general school admissions arrangements.
Get an alert if Birchwood High School goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Hertfordshire before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Hertfordshire catchment area documents →Birchwood High School: 1500 places, 97% filled: nearing capacity
Birchwood High School has a published admission number of 1500 places. 1454 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 97%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 1500, Hertfordshire's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 16.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of Bishop's Stortford.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Hertfordshire publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Hertfordshire Council school admissions (official) →
Birchwood High School: School Information
- Full address
- Parsonage Lane, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 5BD
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11-18 years
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 16.7% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 137637
Other Secondary Schools in Bishop's Stortford
If Birchwood High School is oversubscribed, these secondary schools in Bishop's Stortford are the next closest alternatives.
The Bishop's Stortford High School Catchment Area
Foundation school · CM23 4SH
Hockerill Anglo-European College Catchment Area
Academy converter · CM23 5HX
The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College Catchment Area
Academy converter · CM23 5NJ
St Mary's Catholic School Catchment Area
Academy converter · CM23 2NQ
Nearest secondary schools by distance
These are the secondary schools closest to Birchwood High School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Birchwood High School
What is the catchment area for Birchwood High School? ▾
The catchment area for Birchwood High School is the geographic zone Hertfordshire uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Hertfordshire publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is Birchwood High School oversubscribed? ▾
Birchwood High School is operating close to its capacity of 1500 places (97% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for Birchwood High School? ▾
Admission to Birchwood High School is managed by Hertfordshire. When oversubscribed, places go to looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment area distance. Always verify the current policy with the council before applying.
What age range does Birchwood High School cover? ▾
Birchwood High School is a secondary school in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, serving pupils aged 11-18. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.