Birkenhead High School Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,226 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.5
Academy converter
The Oldershaw School
- Pupils on roll
- 774of 1,111 places
- Free school meals
- 62.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 156
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 1 April 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Oldershaw School (URN 105104, until 1 July 2011).
What the data says
Of the 167 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Oldershaw School in 2023, 28% stayed on in The Oldershaw School’s own sixth form (Wirral average 38%), 32% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 37 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 27% went to university (Wirral 39%, England 37%), and 0% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 28.0 against 46.1 across England and 45.3 in Wirral, with 12% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
A level grades average E+, well below the England average of B-; 0% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Wirral and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Oldershaw School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 167 | 3,848 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 77% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 28% | 38% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 16% | 19% | 13% |
| — further education college | 32% | 25% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 5% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Oldershaw School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 37 | 3,298 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 70% | 79% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 27% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 0% | 23% | 19% |
| Further education | 16% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 27% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 30% | 16% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Oldershaw School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 28.0 | 45.3 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 12% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 29% | 62% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 1% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.25 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 62% | 33% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 24.6 | 32.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 33.5 | 51.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 6% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 156 | 100% | 88% | 4% | 22% | 39% |
| English Language | 156 | 100% | 89% | 2% | 20% | 33% |
| English Literature | 155 | 99% | 86% | 3% | 21% | 32% |
| Combined Science | 126 | 81% | 65% | 0% | 9% | 15% |
| History | 105 | 67% | 41% | 7% | 26% | 37% |
| Art and Design | 70 | 45% | 7% | 10% | 24% | 60% |
| Geography | 66 | 42% | 41% | 0% | 25% | 14% |
| Business Studies | 47 | 30% | 18% | 0% | 20% | 45% |
| Design and Technology | 37 | 24% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 38% |
| Physics | 28 | 18% | 23% | 0% | 46% | 61% |
| Biology | 28 | 18% | 23% | 0% | 45% | 61% |
| Chemistry | 28 | 18% | 23% | 0% | 47% | 61% |
| Computer Science | 19 | 12% | 13% | 0% | 30% | 32% |
| Religious Studies | 14 | 9% | 31% | 0% | 32% | 36% |
| Turkish | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports / Movement Science | 35 | 100% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 25 | 100% | — |
| Multimedia | 19 | 100% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 15 | 88% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 5 | 29% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Oldershaw School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 14 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 17 | 1,844 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | E+ | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 13.64 | 35.37 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | E+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 16% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | 8 | 47% | 13% |
| D and T Textiles Technology | — | — | 0% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Media Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Psychology | — | — | 23% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Management | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 2 | 13 | 76% | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | 6 | 35% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Wirral
Birkenhead Park School
Academy sponsor led · 731 pupils
71% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.9
Calday Grange Grammar School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,493 pupils
95% stayed in education · Attainment 8 68.1
Co-op Academy Bebington
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,044 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.3
Hilbre High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,154 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.0
Pensby High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 915 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.