A selective boys grammar school in Prenton, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 985 pupils on roll.
St Anselm's College
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At a glance
St Anselm's College is a selective Catholic grammar school for boys in Prenton, with a sixth form and about 985 pupils. Founded in 1933 by the Christian Brothers to educate local boys, it remains closely tied to the Edmund Rice tradition and to its motto, Fides Quaerens Intellectum - faith seeking understanding.
The school presents Catholic life as more than a religious studies department. Its mission statement speaks about developing God-given talents, recognising Christ in the community and respecting human dignity; its Catholic ethos pages connect that to service, worship, the wider Church and action for others. That gives St Anselm's a clear identity among Wirral selective schools.
Academically, the school combines grammar-school expectations with a pastoral and spiritual framework. Sixth form, personal development, music, drama, Duke of Edinburgh, sport and charitable activity all appear in official school life, while published outcomes show Good Ofsted, 90.6% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 21.5% AAB or better at A level.
Year 7 entry has 156 places. Applicants sit the school's entrance examination in English, mathematics and verbal reasoning, and the policy does not publish a fixed qualifying score. If more boys meet the required standard than places are available, the oversubscription rules are strongly shaped by Catholic status, looked-after priority and the relevant-area categories, so baptism evidence and the local-authority preference form both matter.
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.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 985 pupils; 979 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 80% | White | 788 |
| Indian | 5.3% | Asian | 52 |
| Any other White background | 2.6% | White | 26 |
| African | 2.2% | Black | 22 |
| White and Asian | 2.1% | Mixed | 21 |
| Any other mixed background | 1.9% | Mixed | 19 |
| Any other Asian background | 1.7% | Asian | 17 |
| Chinese | 0.7% | Asian | 7 |
| Irish | 0.7% | White | 7 |
| Unclassified | 0.6% | Unclassified | 6 |
| Pakistani | 0.5% | Asian | 5 |
| White and Black African | 0.5% | Mixed | 5 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.5% | Mixed | 5 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.3% | Asian | 3 |
| Any other Black background | 0.2% | Black | 2 |
Residence in the relevant area is used within the oversubscription criteria, alongside faith category and the entrance-test standard.
EHCP and required standard
Boys who reach the required standard and have an Education, Health and Care Plan are offered a place first.
Baptised Catholic looked-after boys
Baptised Catholic looked-after and previously looked-after boys have first priority if more applicants reach the required standard than places available.
Baptised Catholic boys in the relevant area
Baptised Catholic boys living in Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester, or another area within 10 miles of the college are prioritised next.
Other looked-after boys
Other looked-after and previously looked-after boys are prioritised after the Catholic relevant-area category.
Baptised Christian boys in the relevant area
Baptised Christian non-Catholic boys living in the relevant area are prioritised next.
Other boys seeking Catholic education
Remaining non-baptised boys whose parents want a Catholic education are considered after the listed priority groups.
St Anselm's College currently uses Individual. The published format currently lists 3 papers. No published age-standardisation note is stored.
Shared exam route
St Anselm's College uses the shared Wirral route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Wirral practice papersPaper 1
Verbal reasoning
Verbal reasoning paper
One of three one-hour written papers.
Paper 2
Maths
Mathematics paper
One of three one-hour written papers.
Paper 3
English
English paper
One of three one-hour written papers.
English, Maths and Verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
One of three one-hour written papers.
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Registration closes
31 July 2026
Special-access supporting documentation is due by the same date.
Entrance examination
18 September 2026
The date is provisional in the registration source.
Special access examination
19 September 2026
This date is for candidates granted special access arrangements.
Register for the entrance examination
Complete the online registration form and provide any special-access documentation by 31 July 2026.
Open registration pageSend baptism evidence where relevant
Catholic or Christian applicants need baptism evidence for the relevant oversubscription categories.
Open stepSubmit the local authority preference form
Entrance-test registration is separate from the local authority secondary-school application.
Open policyLatest 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 | 61.1 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 58.2 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 55.6 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 57.2 | 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 (36.3 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | C+ average (33.6 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (35.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (37.7 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 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 97% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 95% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 96% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 89% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 5% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 4 July 2019
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Wirral area with a comparable local commute
Same Wirral area with a comparable local commute
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
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
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
St Anselm's College currently uses Individual.
1. Register for the entrance examination: Complete the online registration form and provide any special-access documentation by 31 July 2026. 2. Send baptism evidence where relevant: Catholic or Christian applicants need baptism evidence for the relevant oversubscription categories. 3. Submit the local authority preference form: Entrance-test registration is separate from the local authority secondary-school application.
Registration closes: 31 July 2026. Entrance examination: 18 September 2026. Special access examination: 19 September 2026
St Anselm's College is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 4 July 2019.