Head: Simeon Clarke
An accessible girls' grammar school in Wirral with a Good Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
Pass Mark
0
Pupils
Max Score
282
Qualifying Score
220
78% of max
Applications
353
Offers Made
171
Distance (after pass)
All who pass qualify. Places then by distance.
60% of remaining places (after special criteria) will be allocated to students who live closest to the school, distance from the home address to West Kirby Grammar School
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
18 places
Process
Appeals will be heard by an Independent Appeals Panel as required by law, providing they are lodged within the prescribed period.
Waiting List
A waiting list for Year 7 will be maintained until 31 December 2026. This will be maintained by Wirral Local Authority. A student's place on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.
1. Register
1 May 2026
2. Take Test
Wirral 11+
3. Results
19 Oct 2026
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
A shared 11+ entrance exam used by 7 grammar schools, administered by GL Assessment, testing English, Mathematics. Two GL Assessment papers. Max score: 282 (2 × 141). Switched from CEM to GL in 2021. Girls only school for Years 7-11, co-educational Sixth Form. High Performance Learning World Class School. Students regularly apply from Wirral, Chester, North Wales, Liverpool, Warrington and beyond. Assessment administered by Wirral Local Authority and provided by GL Assessment. Three annual in-person familiarisation sessions held each January/February.
Max
282
Qualifying Score
220
78% of max
Open Evening
Information Evening for parents/carers and their child/children currently in Year 4 & 5. Short talk and tour of school with student guides.
22 Apr 2026
5:00pm
Registration Opens
Registration opens for the 11+ exam
1 May 2026
Registration Deadline
Final day to register for the 11+ exam
15 Jul 2026
Exam Date
11+ entrance exam
19 Sep 2026
9:00am
Results Released
11+ results released to parents
19 Oct 2026
CAF Deadline
Common Application Form deadline (all LAs)
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day — places confirmed
1 Mar 2027
71.2
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
96%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
98%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
78%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
6.79
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
B
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
| Metric | Disadvantaged | Non-Disadvantaged | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 52.2 | 72.6 | +20 |
| E+M grade 5+ | 69% | 98% | +28pp |
| EBacc entry | 69% | 79% | +10pp |
Disadvantaged = pupils eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years, looked-after, or adopted from care. A small or zero gap is the goal — it means the school helps every pupil reach the same outcomes.
94%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
Eng+Maths 9-5
EBacc entry
39.3avg points / entry
Average grade: B
DfE doesn't publish the % at each grade band at school level — this is the school-wide average instead.
65%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
64%
Higher Education
−4pp vs grammar avg
49%
Russell Group
Cohort destination breakdown
Destinations trend
Strongest at
Biology
119 entries
100%
+10.8pp vs school
Chemistry
118 entries
100%
+10.8pp vs school
Drama
35 entries
100%
+10.8pp vs school
Watch list
Other Modern Languages
5 entries
0%
-89.2pp vs school
Combined Science
62 entries
0%
-89.2pp vs school
Strongest at
Psychology
56 entries
100%
+5.7pp vs school
Chemistry
35 entries
100%
+5.7pp vs school
Religious Studies
23 entries
100%
+5.7pp vs school
Watch list
Computer Science
5 entries
0%
-94.3pp vs school
Economics
10 entries
90%
-4.3pp vs school
Entry Requirements
Five GCSE passes at grade 5 or above, including English and Mathematics. Students must meet published entry requirements in all subjects they wish to study at Advanced Level with most subjects requiring a grade 6 at GCSE level.
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (77.7%)
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 17 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 7 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form
Good
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £246 (-4%) below the English average
Most English state secondaries spend 75–80% of their budget on staff. Higher figures usually mean smaller class sizes; lower figures mean more spent on premises, supplies, or capital projects.
£4,395
Teaching Staff / pupil
£304
Educational Supplies / pupil
£365
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£1,241
The school holds a surplus per pupil — money set aside that can absorb unexpected costs or fund future projects without affecting day-to-day teaching.
Total grant: £6,095,852 · 900 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£5,122,590
Core per-pupil funding before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£70,950
Targeted funding for 66 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£209,728
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£17,427
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£18,103
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£229,788
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£143,649
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£55,140
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£71,072
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,186 / 1,283(92%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
Five GCSE passes at grade 5 or above, including English and Mathematics. Students must meet published entry requirements in all subjects they wish to study at Advanced Level with most subjects requiring a grade 6 at GCSE level.
1:17.3
Staff:Pupil Ratio
99.82%
Qualified Teachers
3.21%
Absence Rate
3.39%
Persistent Absence
Dedicated Sixth Form Centre with modern teaching areas, media suites, common rooms and kitchen facilities
Sports
Netball Courts, Gym, Main Hall, Front field, Climbing Wall, Small Hall
STEM
Science laboratories, computing suites, design technology workshops
Arts
Drama Studio, Conference Room
Library
Lower Library
Capital Projects
Recent improvements include refurbishment of science laboratories, upgrade of IT infrastructure and facilities, and ongoing maintenance of the school buildings.
Drama productions including staging plays at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and local theatres. Orchestra and choir with various ensembles. Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme. Trips to Europe, America and China including language visits, science visits to CERN and NASA, geography expedition to Iceland, and Religious Studies and History visits to Auschwitz and First World War battlefields.
Sports
Music & Performing Arts
Orchestra, choir, chamber choir, jazz band, sax quartet, various musical ensembles, drama productions, ukulele
Clubs & Societies
Duke of Edinburgh
true
Trips & Exchanges
Language visits to France, Germany, Spain and Italy, science visits to CERN and NASA, geography expedition to Iceland, Religious Studies and History visits to Auschwitz and First World War battlefields, expeditions to China working with children in Inner Mongolia and visiting Hong Kong and Beijing
Community Service
Charity Club activities and community partnerships
Uniform
Students must wear the school uniform consisting of navy blazer with school badge, white shirt, school tie, grey trousers/skirt, black shoes. PE kit includes navy shorts/skirt, white polo shirt, navy sweatshirt and appropriate trainers.
School Meals
Daily free school meal allowance of £4.00 per day for eligible students. Can be used throughout the day at breaktime and lunch purchases.
Homework Policy
Homework is set regularly across all year groups to consolidate learning and develop independent study skills. Students are expected to complete homework to a high standard and within given deadlines. The amount varies by year group and subject.
Behaviour Policy
The school operates a positive behaviour policy based on mutual respect, high expectations and clear boundaries. Students are expected to demonstrate the school values of respect, responsibility and resilience. Consequences are fair and proportionate.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones must be switched off and kept in bags during the school day. They may only be used with permission from staff for educational purposes.
SEND Provision
The school has a dedicated SEND team providing support for students with special educational needs and disabilities. Support includes individual learning plans, small group interventions, and liaison with external agencies where appropriate.
Enter your postcode to see directions to West Kirby
Merseytravel dedicated school services 614, 621, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 684, 685. Merseytravel public bus services 22/X22. 38/38A, 407, 437. Out of area services: Wallasey - C3, Chester/Ellesmere Port/North Wales - W1, W3, W5, W6, W7, A1 Willaston/Neston/Parkgate areas
Nearest Station: West Kirby Railway Station
Transport Info
West Kirby Grammar School is conveniently located, being close to the centre of West Kirby and West Kirby Railway Station, with services available from Liverpool and Chester. Many students travel via train, public buses, and specially provided school service buses.
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