Faculty Overview

English at Birchwood is a creative, illuminating subject delivered by teachers who aim to cultivate and nurture a life-long love of literature, writing and language in all students. Our curriculum is centred around the study of a diverse, rich and complex range of novels, short stories, poetry, drama and non-fiction texts from a range of genres, eras and cultures. We firmly believe in the validity of students’ personal responses; therefore, we teach our students not only to become assured, critical readers but also imaginative, compelling writers and orators. Students are challenged to enjoy and interrogate the perspectives of others, and supported to become confident in developing their own thoughtful and convincing arguments.

Faculty Members

Faculty Overview

The Birchwood Mathematics Department is committed to fostering a deep understanding and appreciation of mathematics in all students. We aim to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that will empower students to apply mathematical concepts in real-world situations. Our goal is to inspire a love for the subject, build confidence, and prepare students for future academic and career opportunities, ensuring they are equipped with the tools to think logically, reason abstractly, and engage with complex challenges both in and beyond the classroom. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where every student can thrive and achieve their full potential in mathematics.

Faculty Members

Faculty Overview

At Birchwood, we believe that our students should enjoy Science — finding it rewarding, gaining knowledge and understanding by investigating things for themselves and using their newly acquired scientific knowledge & skills to be able to question, analyse and challenge.

Faculty Members

Faculty Overview

At Birchwood High School, the Expressive Performing Arts Faculty (EPA) includes: Art, Dance, Drama and Music.

Birchwood Artists are creative, enthusiastic, and inspired by the world around them. They create ambitious and exciting outcomes.

Birchwood Dance & Drama Creatives speak, listen, collaborate and perform. They are brave. They are risk-takers. They are empathetic in equal measure.

Birchwood Musicians study music through listening and appraising, composing and performing, allowing all students to become confident, creative, multi-skilled and culturally enriched. We encourage a lifelong passion for music.

Faculty Members

Faculty Overview

The Humanities Faculty is made up of three departments: Geography, History, and Religious Studies.

Geography at Birchwood seeks to understand the interconnectedness of humans and the environment and equips our students with the skills to tackle the world’s future problems.

“Those who fail to learn from History are condemned to repeat it”. Birchwood Historians understand the past, so they can better create their own futures.

Birchwood Religious Studies students understand religious and non-religious world views and how they impact on the lives of believers and non-believers. They challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions often portrayed in the media, and they are able to evaluate arguments in order to reach a justified conclusion.

Faculty Members

Birchwood Linguists are enthusiastic communicators who are culturally aware and understand the importance of being a good global citizen. At Birchwood, students study French, German and Spanish.

Faculty Overview

The Birchwood PE faculty aims to provide a safe environment where students can enjoy developing their sporting character.

• Empowering all to have a lifelong future of health, fitness and well-being
• Enabling all to have the confidence to access sport and leisure opportunities
• Engaging all in an appreciation and understanding of the importance of global sport in our culture

Faculty Members

PSHCE stands for Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic Education. 

At Birchwood High School, PSHCE focuses on three key areas: 

• Relationships 

• Health and Wellbeing 

• Living in the Wider World 

The school provides relationships and sex education starting in Year 7, focusing initially on biological understanding, and progressing to emotional, social, and ethical aspects in later years. Parents can withdraw their children from any sex education content outside of the National Curriculum for Science by request. 

PSHCE lessons include interactive activities like role-play, debates, and discussions, with support from external agencies. Sensitive topics are taught using distancing techniques (e.g., discussing hypothetical scenarios) to ensure a safe environment for learning. 

The curriculum aims to support students' personal development while promoting a safe, respectful approach to discussing health, relationships, and social issues. 

For a list of our policies, please click the following link to the Policies Page.

Faculty Overview

In Social Sciences subjects, students develop enquiring minds, the passion to enrich the communities of which they are a part and the skills to achieve beyond their expected progress, regardless of background.

Faculty Members

Faculty Overview

Technology at Birchwood High School is structured to include the subject areas of Design & Technology, Food, Computing, Film and Media allowing our students to link logical thinking with creativity to solve problems in our ever changing technological world

At KS3, technology is taught through a carousel system. The subjects taught include Food, Branding, Resistant Materials, Textiles and ICT.

Faculty Members