Wirral / Wirral 11+
Grammar School Lane, West Kirby, CH48 8GG
Calday Grange Grammar School
1
A selective boys grammar school in Wirral, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,479 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective boys grammar school in Wirral, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,479 pupils on roll. Families looking at Wirral, Merseyside will usually see Calday Grange Grammar School as a selective option for boys aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,479 pupils on roll and 210 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 210 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.31 and Attainment 8 at 64.7. 91% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 24.8% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 62% moving into higher education.
The wider offer currently includes Drama, Duke of Edinburgh, Combined Cadet Force. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Calday Grange Grammar School is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Wirral and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Wirral and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Wirral and England.
The shared non-faith Wirral assessment applies. Qualified applicants are ranked by looked-after status, medical or social need, up to 15 free-school-meals places, sibling priority, then shortest walking distance.
No Calday catchment area is published in the 2027 policy. After the higher priority groups, qualified applicants are ranked by shortest walking distance from home to school.
Qualified looked after and previously looked after children are considered first.
After any EHCP allocations, priority starts with applicants who have reached the grammar standard and are looked after or previously looked after.
Qualified applicants with an exceptional medical or social need come next.
Applications under this criterion must be supported by independent professional evidence showing why Calday is the only suitable school.
Up to 15 qualified free-school-meals applicants are ranked next by walking distance.
This priority applies to children eligible for free school meals at the time of application and offer determination.
Qualified siblings are ranked after that by walking distance.
Sibling priority applies when the brother or sister will still be attending the school at the expected admission date.
All other qualified applicants are ranked by shortest walking distance.
The policy does not define a Calday catchment area for Year 7 admissions.
The shared Quest Assessments test applies for Wirral non-faith grammar schools, with age-standardised scoring across verbal reasoning, mathematics, and non-verbal reasoning.
This school uses the shared Wirral consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Wirral guidePaper 1
VR
Paper 1 verbal reasoning
Paper 1 is a multiple-choice verbal reasoning paper in the shared Wirral non-faith grammar assessment session.
Paper 2
Maths, NVR
Paper 2 mathematics and non-verbal reasoning
Paper 2 combines multiple-choice mathematics and non-verbal reasoning questions in the same assessment session.
Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
English, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Paper 1 is a multiple-choice verbal reasoning paper in the shared Wirral non-faith grammar assessment session.
Non-verbal reasoning
Paper 2 combines multiple-choice mathematics and non-verbal reasoning questions in the same assessment session.
English
Science
Creative writing
Registration opens
1 May 2026
Registration closes
1 June 2026
Wirral grammar assessment
15 September 2026
Assessment results issued
21 October 2026
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2026
National offer day
1 March 2027
Register for the Wirral grammar assessment
Registration opens on Friday 1 May 2026 and currently closes on Monday 1 June 2026.
Open Wirral registrationSit the shared non-faith Wirral assessment
Calday's Year 7 pages point families to the shared Quest assessment on Tuesday 15 September 2026 for non-faith grammar school applicants.
Open 11+ informationSubmit your Wirral secondary application
Name Calday on your local authority application by Saturday 31 October 2026. Taking the assessment does not count as the school application.
Open Wirral applicationsLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 69 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 66.1 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 64.7 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 68.1 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (42.3 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (35.8 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (39.8 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (38.3 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 98% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 97% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 97% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 93% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 2% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 26 September 2019
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Wirral area and similar boys' selective route
Same Wirral area with a comparable local commute
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Wirral
Compare the best grammar schools in Wirral for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Wirral sits within the Wirral route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
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Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Wirral
Compare the best grammar schools in Wirral for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Wirral sits within the Wirral route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Calday Grange Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Register for the Wirral grammar assessment: Registration opens on Friday 1 May 2026 and currently closes on Monday 1 June 2026. 2. Sit the shared non-faith Wirral assessment: Calday's Year 7 pages point families to the shared Quest assessment on Tuesday 15 September 2026 for non-faith grammar school applicants. 3. Submit your Wirral secondary application: Name Calday on your local authority application by Saturday 31 October 2026. Taking the assessment does not count as the school application.
Registration opens: 1 May 2026. Registration closes: 1 June 2026. Wirral grammar assessment: 15 September 2026. Assessment results issued: 21 October 2026. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026. National offer day: 1 March 2027
Calday Grange Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 26 September 2019.