Wirral / Wirral 11+
Cross Lane, Bebington, CH63 3AQ
Wirral Grammar School for Boys
1
A selective boys grammar school in Wirral, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,074 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 1,074 pupils on roll. Families looking at Wirral, Merseyside will usually see Wirral Grammar School for Boys 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 1,074 pupils on roll and 170 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 170 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 0.36 and Attainment 8 at 65.7. 93.6% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 26.5% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 63% moving into higher education.
The wider offer currently includes Sport. 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. Wirral Grammar School for Boys 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.
There is no defined catchment area. After the selective standard is met, the published priority categories are followed and home-to-school distance is the final tiebreaker.
Looked after and previously looked after boys
Qualified looked after and previously looked after applicants are prioritised first.
Pupil premium
Qualified applicants attracting pupil premium are prioritised next.
Exceptional medical grounds
Applicants with accepted exceptional medical grounds are prioritised before sibling and staff categories.
Siblings
Qualified applicants with a sibling expected to remain on roll are prioritised.
Children of staff
Qualified sons of eligible staff are prioritised before distance.
Distance
Remaining qualified applicants are ranked by home-to-school distance.
For 2027 entry the Wirral assessment is provided by Quest Assessments. Age standardisation continues and the tested areas and relative weightings remain aligned with the previous Wirral test format.
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 guideEnglish is included in the published format.
Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Creative writing
Assessment request closes
31 May 2026
Secondary applications open
1 September 2026
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Appeals can be submitted
after 1 March 2027
Request assessment
Request assessment through Wirral Council by 31 May 2026.
Sit the Wirral assessment
Applicants sit the Wirral entrance assessment provided by Quest Assessments.
Submit the secondary application
Submit the secondary school application by 31 October 2026.
Receive the allocation outcome
National Offer Day for this admissions round is 1 March 2027.
Latest 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 | 69.7 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 65.1 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 65.7 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 65.4 | 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 (39.5 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (36.8 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (36.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (37.3 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 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 97% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 98% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 9 November 2022
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.
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.
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
Wirral Grammar School for Boys currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Request assessment: Request assessment through Wirral Council by 31 May 2026. 2. Sit the Wirral assessment: Applicants sit the Wirral entrance assessment provided by Quest Assessments. 3. Submit the secondary application: Submit the secondary school application by 31 October 2026. 4. Receive the allocation outcome: National Offer Day for this admissions round is 1 March 2027.
Assessment request closes: 31 May 2026. Secondary applications open: 1 September 2026. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027. Appeals can be submitted: after 1 March 2027
Wirral Grammar School for Boys is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 9 November 2022.