UK Rank #119 In-site school
Calday Grange Grammar School
Wirral
Ofsted: Good Boys only
Consortium guide
Wirral 11 Plus
The Wirral 11 Plus route covers grammar schools across the Wirral peninsula. It uses shared selective testing for local grammar entry, but school type, admissions criteria, faith context and daily travel can differ across the route. The useful questions are which schools are covered, what the test involves, how a qualifying result is used, and whether the west-side or east-side journey still makes sense once the school list becomes real.
6 schools GL Assessment / Individual 17 downloads
6 key dates
01 / Route overview
What this route covers
The Wirral route is a local grammar-school route across the peninsula rather than a large regional system. The main grammar schools in the route include Calday Grange Grammar School, West Kirby Grammar School, Wirral Grammar School for Boys and Wirral Grammar School for Girls. That gives the route a clear school list, but the west side and east side of the peninsula can still create very different daily journeys.
The test is provided by GL Assessment and covers maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. It is a multiple-choice route, with audio instructions and timed work across the papers. The reasoning elements are important because they assess pattern, language and spatial problem solving as well as school-curriculum maths.
The admissions picture follows the usual selective pattern: raw marks are standardised, a qualifying score is set, and school places are then allocated under the relevant admissions rules. There is no extra weighting given to one subject in the route data we hold, so the overall standardised performance is the key academic signal.
Wirral’s story is really about combining a straightforward shared test with a very local school map. Calday and West Kirby may feel like one side of the decision; the boys’ and girls’ grammar schools near Bebington create another pattern. Once the test is understood, the next layer is school type, travel, faith or local context where relevant, and whether the qualifying result translates into a realistic school place.
Schools using this route
These are the schools currently linked to the Wirral route.
UK Rank #159 In-site school
St Anselm's College
Prenton, Wirral
Ofsted: Good Boys only
UK Rank #131 In-site school
Upton Hall School FCJ
Wirral
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
UK Rank #98 In-site school
West Kirby Grammar School
Wirral
Ofsted: Good Girls only
UK Rank #126 In-site school
Wirral Grammar School for Boys
Wirral
Ofsted: Good Boys only
UK Rank #108 In-site school
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Wirral
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
02 / Selection test
Exam format and structure
The Wirral 11 Plus includes multiple-choice papers in maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. These tests are designed to assess your child’s academic ability and reasoning skills, and to compare their results against other applicants.
Paper structure
Paper 1: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning & Mathematics (GL Assessment)
See the papers and topics below.
Paper 2: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning & Mathematics (GL Assessment)
See the papers and topics below.
What the test covers
Approximately 60 minutes with audio instructions
Multiple-choice questions
Includes
Verbal reasoning: language, vocabulary, and logic-based questions Non-verbal reasoning: patterns, sequences, shapes, and spatial awareness Mathematics: questions based on Year 5 and early Year 6 curriculum, including problem-solving
Verbal reasoning
language, vocabulary, and logic-based questions
Non-verbal reasoning
patterns, sequences, shapes, and spatial awareness
Mathematics
questions based on Year 5 and early Year 6 curriculum, including problem-solving
03 / Scoring
Pass mark and score guidance
Your child’s Wirral 11 Plus raw scores are age-standardised to ensure that no child is advantaged or disadvantaged based on their age at the time of the test. Each child’s final standardised score is used for selection, with no extra weighting given to any subject.
Each year, a qualifying score is set to determine eligibility for grammar school entry. As places are limited, offers are made to the highest scoring children until all places are filled.
04 / Applications
Key dates and how to apply
To register your child for the Wirral 11 Plus, complete the online application on the Wirral Council website. This is required whether you live in Wirral or are applying from outside the area.
Key dates
Registration opens
Thursday 1st May 2025
Registration closes
Saturday 31st May 2025
Test date
Mid-September 2025
Results day
Mid-October 2025
Secondary school application deadline
Friday 31st October 2025
National offer day
Monday 2nd March 2026
Application steps
Register online with Wirral Council
Visit the Wirral Council website during the registration window and complete the 11 Plus application form. You’ll need to provide your child’s details and the primary school they attend.
Test centre for non-Wirral schools
If your child does not attend a Wirral primary school, Wirral Council will assign a test centre where they can sit the Wirral 11 Plus in September.
Keep your confirmation email
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Be sure to keep this for future reference.
05 / Resources
Practice papers and familiarisation materials
These local PDF copies are useful for format practice and timing; dates, paper formats, and registration details can change, so the current admissions page remains the source to trust.
Maths
Non-Verbal Reasoning
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Practice Paper 1
Mark schemeNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Practice Paper 1
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Test Booklet
Mark schemeNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Test Booklet
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 1
Mark schemeNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 1
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 2
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 3
Verbal Reasoning
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 1
Mark schemeVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 1
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 2
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 3
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Skills Paper
Mark schemeVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Skills Paper
06 / Linked schools
Schools on this route
These are the schools currently mapped to the Wirral route in Grammar School Hub.
Search workspace
Search and filter schools
Search by school or area, then narrow the shortlist by school type, Ofsted, or test pattern where it helps.
Compare up to 4 schools
6 schools
Assessment type
No schools selected to compare yet.
UK Rank #131
Upton Hall School FCJ
Wirral / Merseyside
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- Individual
- Competition
- Moderate
- Attainment 8
- 65.6
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 97.4%
UK Rank #98
West Kirby Grammar School
Wirral / Merseyside
Ofsted: GoodGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- Moderate
- Attainment 8
- 71.3
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 97.3%
UK Rank #108
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Wirral / Merseyside
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 69.3
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.9%
UK Rank #119
Calday Grange Grammar School
Wirral / Merseyside
Ofsted: GoodBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- Moderate
- Attainment 8
- 68.1
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 95.4%
UK Rank #126
Wirral Grammar School for Boys
Wirral / Merseyside
Ofsted: GoodBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 65.4
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 99.4%
UK Rank #159
St Anselm's College
Prenton / Wirral
Ofsted: GoodBoys only
- Assessment
- Individual
- Competition
- Moderate
- Attainment 8
- 57.2
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 90.6%
07 / Shortlisting
Admissions points to compare school by school
Once the route itself is clear, treat the linked schools as separate choices. This is usually where travel, oversubscription rules, and school fit start to matter most.
Wirral is often at its clearest when parents move quickly from shared test to which school would actually work. The route matters, but the final shortlist usually depends more on school fit and geography than on the fact that the papers are shared.
Check these before you rank schools
- Whether the west side or east side of the Wirral is more realistic from home
- Boys', girls', and mixed options across the route
- How each school's admissions rules shape what a qualifying result really means
- Whether the daily journey still feels manageable for the named schools
08 / Preparation
How to prepare for this route
Supporting your child’s preparation for the Wirral 11 Plus can make a big difference. Here are some practical steps to help them succeed:
Start Early
Begin preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5 to give your child plenty of time to build confidence and skills.
Use Practice Papers
Work through Wirral 11 Plus-style practice papers under timed conditions. This helps your child become familiar with the test format and develop good exam technique.
Focus on Weak Areas
Monitor your child’s progress and focus revision on areas where they need the most improvement.
Encourage Daily Reading
Regular reading helps develop vocabulary, comprehension, and reasoning skills—key for verbal reasoning and other sections of the test.
Try Online Tools
Make use of online resources that offer Wirral 11 Plus practice questions and feedback to keep revision engaging and effective.
Keeping preparation consistent, structured, and positive will help your child feel confident and ready for the test day.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which Wirral grammar schools are grouped here?
The Wirral page groups the peninsula grammar schools, including Calday, West Kirby, Wirral Grammar School for Boys and Wirral Grammar School for Girls, with the local non-faith route sitting at the centre of the picture.
Can Wirral qualification still depend on the school named?
Yes. Qualification matters, but the final decision still changes with school type, west-side or east-side journey, distance and each school's published admissions criteria.
Why does the Wirral route still depend on local geography?
The shared test covers a compact set of peninsula grammar schools, but Calday, West Kirby and the Wirral boys' and girls' schools can mean different daily journeys. A qualifying result still has to meet a practical local school map.
Who usually manages registration or applications for Wirral?
The live process usually sits with the participating Wirral schools and admissions authorities. The official pages remain the source of truth for registration windows, test venues, access arrangements and final admissions instructions for the relevant year.