A selective boys grammar school in Wirral, Merseyside, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,074 pupils on roll.
Wirral Grammar School for Boys
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At a glance
Wirral Grammar School for Boys is a selective boys' grammar school for ages 11 to 18 on Cross Lane in Bebington. It has been on the site since 1931 and describes its ethos through the motto "Sapientia Ianua Vitae" - wisdom is the gateway to life. The school is also entering a notable new phase: from September 2026, its sixth form opens to both female and male students from all schools.
The academic identity is traditional but not static. The headteacher's welcome stresses educational excellence, high aspirations, belonging and an inclusive grammar-school opportunity for academically minded students from different backgrounds. The curriculum page itself is brief, but the sixth-form pages give more detail about academic challenge, A-level courses, enrichment, student leadership and support for university, apprenticeships and careers. The 2026 co-educational sixth-form announcement describes a broad and ambitious curriculum delivered by expert teachers in an environment encouraging independence, ambition and resilience.
WGSB's wider life is particularly strong in sport and participation. The homepage talks about a broad co-curricular programme; the British Values page describes assemblies, the house system, annual elections, peer support, student-led charity fundraising, competitive sport, music, overseas links and traditional events. Sport is a major part of the offer, from social participation to regional and national competition, and school material notes participation rates in extra-curricular activities regularly topping 90% in each year group.
Year 7 admission has 170 places. For 2027 entry, the Wirral assessment is provided by Quest Assessments and continues to be age-standardised, with tested areas and relative weightings aligned to the previous Wirral format. The stored policy context prioritises looked-after and previously looked-after boys, Pupil Premium, accepted exceptional medical grounds, siblings and children of staff before distance. The latest applications record lists 381 applications and 147 offers. Official benchmarks record Ofsted Good, +0.36 Progress 8, 99.4% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 26.5% AAB or better at A level.
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 1,074 pupils; 1,065 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 77.8% | White | 836 |
| Indian | 4% | Asian | 43 |
| Chinese | 3.4% | Asian | 37 |
| Any other White background | 2.9% | White | 31 |
| Any other Asian background | 2.5% | Asian | 27 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.2% | Mixed | 24 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.9% | Asian | 20 |
| White and Asian | 1.9% | Mixed | 20 |
| Unclassified | 0.8% | Unclassified | 9 |
| African | 0.6% | Black | 6 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.5% | Other | 5 |
| Irish | 0.5% | White | 5 |
| Any other Black background | 0.4% | Black | 4 |
| White and Black African | 0.4% | Mixed | 4 |
| Pakistani | 0.3% | Asian | 3 |
Boys must meet the Wirral grammar standard before the published priority categories are applied. The 2027 Quest assessment has two papers covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics.
There is no defined catchment area. After the selective standard and priority categories are applied, remaining qualified applicants are ranked by home-to-school distance measured by Wirral Council's computer mapping system.
Up to 30 priority places for looked-after, previously looked-after and premium applicants
This category includes eligible looked-after and previously looked-after boys, children in care outside England, and children attracting pupil or service premium who score at or above the eligible score or up to five marks below it.
Exceptional medical grounds
A specific placement must be supported by medical evidence submitted with the preference form.
Siblings
This includes step, foster and adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address who attend the school at the time of application.
Children of staff
Staff must have been employed for at least two years or recruited to a demonstrable skills-shortage post.
Distance
Remaining qualified applicants are ranked by home-to-school distance measured by Wirral Council's computer mapping system.
The 2027 Wirral 11+ assessment has two multiple-choice papers: verbal reasoning, then mathematics and non-verbal reasoning. Both papers are taken in one session with a short break.
Shared exam route
Wirral Grammar School for Boys 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
Wirral 11+ paper one
Multiple-choice verbal reasoning paper lasting about 50 minutes.
Paper 2
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning
Wirral 11+ paper two
Multiple-choice mathematics and non-verbal reasoning paper lasting about 50 minutes.
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
Multiple-choice verbal reasoning paper lasting about 50 minutes.
Non-verbal reasoning
Multiple-choice mathematics and non-verbal reasoning paper lasting about 50 minutes.
English
Science
Assessment registration opens
1 May 2026
PastAssessment registration closes
12 noon on 1 June 2026
PastWirral 11+ assessment
15 September 2026
Assessment results
21 October 2026
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Appeals deadline
end of March 2027
Register for the Wirral assessment
Register through Wirral Council by 12 noon on 1 June 2026.
Check assessment registrationSit the Wirral 11+ assessment
The Quest assessment is on 15 September 2026 and covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics.
Open candidate packSubmit the secondary application
Submit the secondary school application by 31 October 2026.
Check application datesReceive the allocation outcome
National Offer Day for this admissions round is 1 March 2027.
Check offer dateLatest 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% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 9 November 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
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
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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
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Wirral Grammar School for Boys currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Register for the Wirral assessment: Register through Wirral Council by 12 noon on 1 June 2026. 2. Sit the Wirral 11+ assessment: The Quest assessment is on 15 September 2026 and covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics. 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 registration opens: 1 May 2026. Assessment registration closes: 12 noon on 1 June 2026. Wirral 11+ assessment: 15 September 2026. Assessment results: 21 October 2026. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027. Appeals deadline: end of March 2027
Wirral Grammar School for Boys is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 9 November 2022.