Birkdale High School

This article is about the school in Yorkshire. For the school in Southport, see Birkdale High School (Sefton).

Birkdale High School
Address
Wheelwright Drive Dewsbury , West Yorkshire , WF13 4JB England
Information
Motto	Forward to Success
Local authority	Kirklees
Department for Education URN	107774 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Headteacher	Mrs Christine Caraher
Age	11 to 16
Website	http://www.birkdalehigh.org.uk/

Birkdale High School is a school in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. The school is quite small, with just under 600 pupils at present 2006/7. The school's buildings are in two distinct phases; the older building, comprising mainly the former Wheelwright Grammar school (Girl's section) and a newly built wing connected by a bridge c1980. The school is fortunate to be set amongst lovely grassed grounds with a large playing and track area and more recluse grassed quads located within the main building.

Overview

The school is located on Halifax road, near the Dewsbury/Batley border. The intake of the school is reflected by the surrounding area, most pupils are taken from the Batley/Dewsbury area due to the school's central location and its position on many bus routes through the surrounding towns. The school, oddly, has a slightly high male population due to the presence of an all girls school in the school's catchment area as noted by OFSTED.

The school has been praised for its improvements and capacity to continue to improve by OFSTED; noting the well-being and care offered by the school. Academically the results for the present year 11 pupils exceeded all externally set targets with an achievement of 37% 5 x A*-C including English and Maths (64% achieved 5 x A* - C in any subjects); making it the school's most successful year to date and exceeding the achievement of many other local schools, especially when comparing the CVA.

Despite all the success and praise it was recently announced by Kirklees council (with leaks in the local press) that they were still planning to close the school, despite the BSF money being withdrawn by the new Coalition Government. It has been officially announced that the school will close, and mere with its neighbouring school, Westbourugh High School.

The then Conservative party lost control of council in Kirkless over the Building Schools for the Future discussion. The present council, a minority Labour administration, had vowed to reconsider the proposals but produced a plan with little difference. With the changing national picture over BSF the local authority has now been forced into a re-think about the present proposals. The authority are refusing to engage in discussion about the school's future, even though they have been invited numerous times by staff & parents at the school. The council officers are now suggesting it may turn the neighbouring school (Westbrough High School) into a split site with Birkdale forming a separate campus; much to the shock and disgust of the parents, staff and local community especially when the school founded the School Leaders programme, backed by one, Parf Patel.

The genuine fear for the change and how it will affect the standards of education, staff's careers and the inclusive, achievement based focus of Birkdale have all come to light. This has led the school along with the local community to begin fighting and they are all now campaigning to Save Birkdale High School.

Notable alumni

• Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi, politician.
• Gary Sykes, featherweight boxer.

External links

• Official site