Birkenhead High School Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,226 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.5
Academy converter
South Wirral High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,019of 1,234 places
- Free school meals
- 36.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 144
- Ofsted
- Good, 11 October 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: South Wirral High School (URN 105107, until 1 December 2024).
What the data says
Of the 183 pupils who finished Year 11 at South Wirral High School in 2023, 23% stayed on in South Wirral High School’s own sixth form (Wirral average 38%), 45% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
A level grades average D-, well below the England average of B-.
Among the 65 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 40% went to university (Wirral 39%, England 37%), and 7% 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 37.4 against 46.1 across England and 45.3 in Wirral, with 28% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
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 | South Wirral High School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 183 | 3,848 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 84% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 23% | 38% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 14% | 19% | 13% |
| — further education college | 45% | 25% | 37% |
| — other education | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 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 | South Wirral High School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 65 | 3,298 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 88% | 79% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 40% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 7% | 23% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 40% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 16% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | South Wirral High School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 37.4 | 45.3 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 28% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 56% | 62% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 18% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.04 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 45% | 33% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 29.6 | 32.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 43.8 | 51.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 1% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 143 | 99% | 89% | 10% | 20% | 66% |
| Mathematics | 142 | 99% | 88% | 10% | 22% | 60% |
| English Literature | 139 | 97% | 86% | 11% | 21% | 66% |
| Combined Science | 83 | 58% | 65% | 2% | 9% | 43% |
| History | 66 | 46% | 41% | 3% | 26% | 52% |
| Business Studies | 54 | 38% | 18% | 2% | 20% | 31% |
| Biology | 53 | 37% | 23% | 11% | 45% | 62% |
| Physics | 53 | 37% | 23% | 6% | 46% | 55% |
| Geography | 48 | 33% | 41% | 6% | 25% | 48% |
| Chemistry | 40 | 28% | 23% | 0% | 47% | 63% |
| French | 32 | 22% | 18% | 9% | 29% | 84% |
| Photography | 28 | 19% | 6% | 21% | 19% | 54% |
| Fine Art | 25 | 17% | 9% | 24% | 28% | 80% |
| Psychology | 23 | 16% | 3% | 9% | 22% | 52% |
| Design and Technology | 19 | 13% | 11% | 5% | 23% | 58% |
| Computer Science | 16 | 11% | 13% | 0% | 30% | 31% |
| Film Studies | 16 | 11% | 1% | 6% | 20% | 50% |
| Music | 14 | 10% | 5% | 14% | 33% | 43% |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 6% | 31% | 11% | 32% | 22% |
| Drama | 8 | 6% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 100% |
| Chinese | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 36 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 32 | 100% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 18 | 90% | — |
| Tourism | 8 | 40% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | South Wirral High School | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 71 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 20 | 1,844 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 18.15 | 35.37 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | — | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | 8 | 40% | 13% |
| Physics | 6 | 30% | 12% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| English Language | — | — | 4% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Law | — | — | 4% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 9 | 45% | — |
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 30% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
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.