A selective girls grammar school in Wirral, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,186 pupils on roll.
West Kirby Grammar School
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At a glance
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.
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 1,186 pupils; 1,182 had a recorded ethnic group.
| 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 |
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.
Qualified applicants
Candidates must reach the required standard in both tests.
Free school meals
Up to 18 places are available for qualified girls eligible for free school meals, ranked by distance.
Children of staff
Priority applies where the published staff criteria are met.
Distance allocation
Sixty percent of the remaining places are allocated by shortest road or safe walking-route distance.
Score allocation
The remaining places are allocated by standardised score.
West Kirby Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 2 papers. Scores are published as age-standardised.
Shared exam route
West Kirby Grammar School 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
Paper 1
Verbal reasoning.
Paper 2
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning
Paper 2
Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning.
Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
English and Science are not listed in the current published format.
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning
Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning.
English
Science
Assessment Request Form opens
1 May 2026
PastAssessment Request Form deadline
31 May 2026
PastWirral 11+ assessment
15 September 2026
Results issued
Mid October 2026
Common Application Form deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Register for the Wirral 11+
Complete the Assessment Request Form by 31 May 2026; the form is available from 1 May.
Open admissions pageSit the Quest assessment
The Wirral 11+ is administered by Wirral Local Authority and provided by Quest Assessments.
Open candidate packSubmit the Common Application Form
Name West Kirby Grammar School on the home local authority admissions form by the published secondary-transfer deadline.
Open admissions pageLatest 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 | 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
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 (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
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 | 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% |
Latest inspection: 3 November 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Wirral area and similar girls' 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
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
West Kirby Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
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.
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
West Kirby Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 3 November 2022.