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Hilbre High School

Frankby Road, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH48 6EQ ·

Report card: areas need attention· 2026
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At a glance

A state secondary academy for ages 11–18 in Wirral. Ofsted report card (March 2026): areas need attention. GCSE results are below the England average (Attainment 8: 39.0 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 181 families put it first for 178 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–18
Pupils
1,154
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Local authority
Wirral
Academy trust
OAK TREES MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Headteacher
Headteacher John Barlow
Opened
Jul 2012

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports
Inspected 24 Mar 2026Published 7 Jun 2026
  • SafeguardingMet
  • InclusionExpected standard
  • Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
  • AchievementNeeds attention
  • Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
  • Personal development and well-beingNeeds attention
  • Post-16 provisionNeeds attention
  • Leadership and governanceNeeds attention

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 192 pupils

Attainment 8
39.0
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
24.5%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
48.4%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
-0.43
2023/24 · CI -0.63 to -0.23
This school
39
Wirral
45.3
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
178
1st preferences
181
All applications
578
1st prefs per place
1.02
More first choices than places

166 of 181 first-preference applicants were offered a place (92%). 1 offers went to families living in another council area.

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
1,174
Capacity
1,160
99% full
Girls / boys
43/57
Mixed
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)29.5%
  • English as an additional language3%
  • SEN support14.7%
  • Education, Health and Care plan8.2%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
Hilbre High School, Wirral · SchoolPatch