School profile Verified 11 September 2026

West Kirby Grammar School

Graham Road, West Kirby, CH48 5DP

A selective girls grammar school in Wirral, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,186 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

UK rank: UK Rank #96
Year 7 places: 180
Competition ?: Moderate
Ofsted ?: Good
11+ route: GL Assessment

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At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank: UK Rank #96
Sector: Grammar school
Admissions: Girls only
Assessment: GL Assessment
Places in Year 7: 180
Competition ?: Moderate
Catchment: You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Ofsted ?: Good

Overview

West Kirby Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school on the Wirral, with a sixth form and about 1,186 pupils. Its motto, ad metam contendo - strive towards the goal - is reflected in six published values: community, high expectations, opportunity, innovation, curiosity and endeavour.

The school has a distinctive academic language through High Performance Learning. West Kirby describes itself as the first maintained secondary in the North West to achieve the HPL World Class School Award, and uses that framework to teach students how to think and how to behave as learners. The curriculum is broad too: all students study Latin and two modern languages in Key Stage 3, while the sixth form offers a fully academic 16-19 programme with 27 A-level subjects and EPQ.

Enrichment has a strong international and cultural flavour, including fieldwork, exchanges and study tours to China, the US and Europe, alongside music, drama, house activity, personal development and leadership. Published outcomes show Good Ofsted, +0.42 Progress 8, 97.3% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 22.9% AAB or better at A level.

Year 7 entry has 180 places and uses the Wirral grammar assessment provided by Quest. Candidates must reach the required standard in both tests. The policy then reserves up to 18 places for qualified girls eligible for free school meals, gives published priority to children of staff where applicable, allocates 60% of remaining places by distance and the rest by standardised score.

Key points

Assessment route: GL Assessment across a 2-stage process, covering Verbal reasoning, Maths and Non-verbal reasoning.
Places and demand: 180 places in Year 7 and Moderate
Catchment: You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Results: 97.3% grade 5+ in English and maths and 71.3 Attainment 8
Sixth form: Sixth form available with 22.9% AAB or better and 65% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Wirral and England.

School Local authority England

Attainment 8: 71.3
Grade 5+ English and maths: 97.3%
EBacc APS: 6.80
EBacc entry: 78.1%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Wirral and England.

School Local authority England

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Wirral and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown

School details

Sector: Grammar school
School type: Academy converter
Application: Local authority CAF
Gender: Girls only
Age range: 11-18
Headteacher: Mr Simeon Clarke
Pupil roll: 1,186 pupils
Sixth form: Yes
Trust: West Kirby Grammar School
FSM ?: 7.8%
EAL ?: 11%
EHCP ?: 0.4%

Facilities

Science labs

Extracurriculars

Drama

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,186 pupils; 1,182 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 82.3% Asian 9.8% Mixed 5.1% Black 1.5% Other 0.9% Unclassified 0.3%

Recorded group	Share	Category	Pupils
White British	77.7%	White	922
Indian	5.3%	Asian	63
Any other White background	4.3%	White	51
Any other mixed background	2.2%	Mixed	26
White and Asian	2.1%	Mixed	25
Any other Asian background	1.9%	Asian	23
Chinese	1.9%	Asian	22
African	1.2%	Black	14
Any other ethnic group	0.9%	Other	11
White and Black African	0.5%	Mixed	6
Pakistani	0.4%	Asian	5
Any other Black background	0.3%	Black	4
Bangladeshi	0.3%	Asian	4
Unclassified	0.3%	Unclassified	4
Irish	0.3%	White	3
White and Black Caribbean	0.3%	Mixed	3

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Location and contact

Address

Address: Graham Road, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside
Postcode: CH48 5DP
Area: Wirral
Exam area: Wirral 11+

School leadership

Headteacher: Mr Simeon Clarke

School contact

School email: office@wkgs.net
School phone: 01516323449

Admissions contact

Admissions team: Admissions team
Admissions email: primaryplaces@wirral.gov.uk
Admissions phone: 01516323449

Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Year 7 places: 180 places (2026 entry)
Applications listed: 353 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences: 146 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?: Moderate
Who can apply: You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Published score basis: Selective standard first; no published numeric threshold (2026 entry)
Pass mark note: Candidates must reach the required standard in both tests before oversubscription criteria are applied.

There is no fixed catchment boundary; after qualifying, a free-school-meals priority applies, then 60% of remaining places use distance and the rest use standardised score.

Oversubscription and eligibility

1

Qualified applicants

Candidates must reach the required standard in both tests.
2

Free school meals

Up to 18 places are available for qualified girls eligible for free school meals, ranked by distance.
3

Children of staff

Priority applies where the published staff criteria are met.
4

Distance allocation

Sixty percent of the remaining places are allocated by shortest road or safe walking-route distance.
5

Score allocation

The remaining places are allocated by standardised score.

Admissions policy

Admissions Policy 2027/2028

2027 entry

Information booklet

Wirral 11+ Quest Candidate Information Pack

2027 entry

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

West Kirby Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 2 papers. Scores are published as age-standardised.

Assessment route: GL Assessment
Papers and stages: 2 papers
Format: Multiple-choice papers
Age standardisation: Published as age-standardised

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Wirral test guide

Familiarisation Quest Assessments English familiarisation booklet English General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation Quest Assessments Maths familiarisation booklet Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation Quest Assessments Non-Verbal Reasoning familiarisation booklet Non-Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation Quest Assessments Verbal Reasoning familiarisation booklet Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation Wirral 11+ Quest Candidate Information Pack VR, Maths and NVR Guidance Quest Assessments official guidance and downloads General provider materials. Check this school’s subjects and stages before choosing a booklet.

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Papers and rounds

Paper 1

Verbal reasoning

Paper 1

Verbal reasoning.
Paper 2

Maths, Non-verbal reasoning

Paper 2

Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning.

What the test includes

Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.

English and Science are not listed in the current published format.

Included

Maths
Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning

Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning.

Not listed

English
Science

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders

Find open days and plan a visit

Assessment Request Form opens

1 May 2026
Past
Assessment Request Form deadline

31 May 2026
Past
Wirral 11+ assessment

15 September 2026
Results issued

Mid October 2026
Common Application Form deadline

31 October 2026
National Offer Day

1 March 2027

How to apply

1
Register for the Wirral 11+

Complete the Assessment Request Form by 31 May 2026; the form is available from 1 May.
Open admissions page
2
Sit the Quest assessment

The Wirral 11+ is administered by Wirral Local Authority and provided by Quest Assessments.
Open candidate pack
3
Submit the Common Application Form

Name West Kirby Grammar School on the home local authority admissions form by the published secondary-transfer deadline.
Open admissions page

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admissions Policy 2027/2028

2027 entry

Information booklet

Wirral 11+ Quest Candidate Information Pack

2027 entry

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8 ?: +0.42 Progress 8
Attainment 8 ?: 71.3 Attainment 8
GCSE results: 97.8% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?: 97.3% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?: 6.80 EBacc APS
A-level results: 22.9% AAB or better
A-level average points: 39.32 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression: 65% in higher education
Apprenticeships: 3% in apprenticeships
Employment: 21% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths: 96.2% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English: 96.7% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences: 97.2% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages: 81.3% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

West Kirby Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	71.7	74.2	49.4
2022/23	67.9	71.8	47.0
2023/24	68.3	72.1	46.7
2024/25	71.3	72.3	46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

West Kirby Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	B average (41.0 points)	44.0 points	37.5 points
2022/23	B average (38.5 points)	40.5 points	33.7 points
2023/24	B- average (37.4 points)	41.3 points	34.5 points
2024/25	B average (39.3 points)	41.8 points	35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

West Kirby Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	98%	99.1%	94.1%
2022/23	99%	98.9%	93.9%
2023/24	99%	99.0%	93.3%
2024/25	98%	98.7%	91.8%

Latest year breakdown

In education	96%
In apprenticeships	1%
In employment	1%

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Inspection

View report

Good

Latest inspection: 3 November 2022

Quality of education: Good
Behaviour and attitudes: Good
Personal development: Good
Leadership and management: Good
Sixth form provision: Good

Quick summary

Overall effectiveness: Good overall, with pupils and sixth formers thriving in a respectful, academically successful community. The report praises belonging, enrichment and pastoral support, while identifying a few subjects where curriculum delivery and key stage 3 assessment need greater consistency.
Quality of education: The curriculum is broad and ambitious, especially where subject leaders have mapped knowledge carefully. Teachers often use expertise well, but in a few subjects work is not always demanding enough and assessment does not always reveal gaps quickly.
Behaviour and attitudes: Behaviour is Good, with calm corridors, strong relationships and classrooms where most pupils show perseverance and commitment. Disruption is rare, pupils feel accepted, and staff generally respond well to the rare bullying incidents that occur.
Personal development: Personal development has been strengthened and pupils value its relevance to everyday life. They also benefit from sport, philosophy, drama and music clubs, leadership roles, community contribution and world views lessons about different faiths and cultures.
Leadership and management: Governors and leaders share a clear improvement vision and are finalising curriculum and assessment work. Staff appreciate attention to workload and well-being, safeguarding is strong, and leaders work with agencies to support vulnerable pupils and families.
Sixth form provision: Sixth form provision is Good, with students inspired by each other and well supported for future choices. They benefit from strong teaching in many subjects, help to address gaps on entry, and guidance that leads to aspirational destinations.

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Shortlist comparisons

Compare West Kirby Grammar School with Wirral Grammar School for Girls Compare West Kirby Grammar School with Upton Hall School FCJ Compare West Kirby Grammar School with Loreto Grammar School

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Related pages and guides

Area and ranking pages

Best Grammar Schools in Wirral

Compare 6 Wirral grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Wirral route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.

Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.

Best Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.

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.

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does West Kirby Grammar School use?

West Kirby Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to West Kirby Grammar School?

1. Register for the Wirral 11+: Complete the Assessment Request Form by 31 May 2026; the form is available from 1 May. 2. Sit the Quest assessment: The Wirral 11+ is administered by Wirral Local Authority and provided by Quest Assessments. 3. Submit the Common Application Form: Name West Kirby Grammar School on the home local authority admissions form by the published secondary-transfer deadline.

When are the key dates for West Kirby Grammar School?

Assessment Request Form opens: 1 May 2026. Assessment Request Form deadline: 31 May 2026. Wirral 11+ assessment: 15 September 2026. Results issued: Mid October 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest inspection picture look like for West Kirby Grammar School?

West Kirby Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 3 November 2022.