Birkdale School

Birkdale School is a co-educational private day school for pupils aged 4–18, in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire in England. Founded by Maurice Asterley, in 1904, the school provides education underpinned by a Christian ethos.

Birkdale School
Location
Oakholme Road Sheffield , South Yorkshire , S10 3DH England
Coordinates	53.374510°N 1.504785°W / 53.374510; -1.504785
Information
Type	Private school
Motto	Res Non Verba (Actions not Words)
Religious affiliation(s)	Christian
Established	1904
Founder	Maurice Asterley
Department for Education URN	107163 Tables
Head Master	Ben Bowles
Staff	~200
Gender	Co-educational
Age	4 to 18
Enrolment	~1,000 pupils (inc. Prep School)
Houses	Griffiths, Asterley, Hall and Heeley.
Colour(s)	Red  , Dark Blue
Publication	The Birkdalian
Former pupils	Old Birkdalians
Partner Schools	Peace Garden School, Nepal
Website	www.birkdaleschool.org.uk

Birkdale is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and is a registered charity, educating roughly 1000 students per annum. Previously a boys' school, since 1995 girls have been admitted to the sixth form, with the whole school becoming co-educational in September 2020, starting with the youngest four year groups.

History

Birkdale was founded in 1904 by Maurice Asterley as a preparatory school for boys between the ages of 4 and 13 to provide a Christian education and takes its name from its first home, Birkdale House on Newbould Lane.^[1] The school moved in 1915 to the Oakholme building under Griffiths' leadership (1909–1939).^{[citation needed]}

At the start of the Second World War, the school evacuated to Derbyshire under Roberts, Head Master in 1939. After the war, Roberts moved his pupils to Uttoxeter creating Brocksford Hall School, whilst twenty boys returned to Oakholme Road under Heeley in 1942 who later became Head Master in 1943.^[1]

Buildings

The Johnson Building

Birkdale School consists of a senior school and a prep school over 2 sites. The senior school has six main buildings: Johnson Building, Grayson Building, Endcliffe Building, Oakholme Building, Westbury Building, and the Science Block.

Houses

There is a House system employed at Birkdale Senior School, four in total, each named after old Head Masters. Each house consists of a House Master who is a member of faculty, a House Captain who is a member of sixth form, and a dozen House Prefects also from the sixth form, chosen by faculty. Their roles consist of holding house assemblies and organising house events. The heads of school, as well as the sixth form prefects, operate independently from the house prefects.

House Name		Named After
	Asterley	Maurice Asterley 1904–09
	Griffiths	Alban Griffiths 1909–39
	Heeley	Howard Heeley 1943-63
	Hall	John Hall 1963-83

The Prep School had a slightly different house system, with a house dedicated to J.G. Roberts, Head Master 1933 – 43, and one to the family of Sir John Osborn, Conservative MP for Sheffield Hallam 1959 – 1987, of Osborn House, the current site of the Preparatory School. Martin House is named after Cyril Martin, who gained the Military Cross in the First World War and the George Cross in the Second World War. Westbury House was the fourth house. As of September 2020, the Prep department has adopted the same Houses as the Senior School.^[2]

The Birkdalian

The Birkdalian has, since the mid-twentieth century, been the school magazine.^{[citation needed]}

Administration

The headmaster is Ben Bowles. The previous headmaster was Peter Harris, who left at Easter 2025.

Sport

Birkdale has its own playing fields, Castle Dyke, within a few miles of the main school site. There was a £2 million investment after acquiring a 125 year lease for the 30 acre Castle Dyke playing fields and the construction of a new sports pavilion, which opened in 2006.^{[citation needed]} On campus, the school has a sports hall and attached gym.

During the 2007–08 school year, the U16 Rugby team reached the national quarter final of the Daily Mail Vase.^[3]

Head Masters

Head Master	Years Active
	1900s										1910s										1920s										1930s										1940s										1950s										1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s										2010s
Maurice Asterley					1904–09
Alban Griffiths										1909–39
J. G. Roberts																																								1939–43
Howard Heeley																																												1943–1963
John Hall																																																																1963–83
The Rev'd Michael Hepworth																																																																	1983–98
Robert Court																																																																	1998–2010
Dr Paul Owen																																																																	2010–2018
Nicholas Pietrek																																																																	2018–2018
Peter Harris																																																																	2019–

Nepal

Peace Garden School, Nepal

As part of the school's charity projects it has developed links with some institutions in and around Kathmandu in Nepal. Most notable are the Peace Garden School, for which the school has helped raise money for a new school building, and a leper colony on the outskirts of Kathmandu, where Birkdale is helping to build new facilities and a new school.^{[citation needed]}

Notable alumni

See also: Category:People educated at Birkdale School

• Cyril Martin GC, MC (1897–1973), soldier and George Cross recipient.^[2]
• Sir Rex Harrison (1908–1990), actor.^[4]
• Sir John Holbrook Osborn (1922–2015), MP for Sheffield Hallam 1959–87
• Sir Paul Kennedy, KC (born 1935), former Lord Justice of Appeal.^[4]
• Sir Michael Palin (born 1943), comedian, actor, traveller and writer.^[4][5]
• Bruce Dickinson (born 1958), musician.^[6]
• Sir Julian Goose (born 1961), High Court judge.
• Simon Johnson (born 1963), Nobel Prize winning economist.^[7]
• Mark Roe (born 1963), golfer.^[4]
• Lord Allan of Hallam (Formerly Richard Allan, MP) (born 1966), Liberal Democrat Peer.^[4]
• Richard Coyle (born 1972), actor.
• David Jennings (born 1972), composer.
• Justin Wilson (1978–2015), racing driver.^[8]
• Charlie Davies (born 1989), rugby union player.
• Stefan Wilson (born 1989), racing driver.^[9]
• Zhou Guanyu (born 1999), Formula 1 racing driver.^[10]
• Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e (born 2003), rugby league player.^[11]