Ofsted: Good trending_up Places Available emoji_events #17 in Wirral public Top 32% UK

South Wirral High School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Simon Goodwin

location_onWirral, CH62 8EH

language Visit Website phone 1513273213

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2022

groups

Students

1,040

trending_up

Attainment 8

37.4

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GCSE Rank

#16 in Wirral

#3,197 of 4,663 nationally

summarize

South Wirral High School is a Foundation school secondary school in Wirral, serving ages 11-18. Rated Good by Ofsted.

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School Summary

South Wirral High School is a foundation school in Wirral, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. The school has approximately 1,045 pupils on roll, of whom 37% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 37.4, placing the school #16 in Wirral and #3,197 of 4,663 nationally. 27.80% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 7.7% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 11 A-level subjects. 9.1% of A-level entries were graded A*–B. A-level value added: -0.78 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2022. The school's current overall rating is Good. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.9× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 16.9:1. There are no current teaching vacancies. Teacher turnover in the previous year was 10.0%.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 3 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 4.3 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

37.4

Grade 5+ E&M

27.80%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)7.7%

Entering EBacc18.10%

EBacc APS3.04

2024

Progress 8 Score

-0.38

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

37.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14.40%

EBacc APS2.97

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.16

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

40.9

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc11%

EBacc APS3.22

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.29

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

40.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14%

EBacc APS3.2

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc15%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.1

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc20%

EBacc APS3.37

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.02

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

44.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc36%

EBacc APS3.54

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)84%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)80%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)9%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

91%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

91%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)84%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)88%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.78

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

D-

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*–B9.1%

VA Banding Well below average

A-level subjects offered11

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.46

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate80.00%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate77.40%

2022

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate80.0%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

Inspection Report

31 March 2025

Inspection Report

11 October 2022

Inspection Report

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06 April 2022

Inspection Report

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20 March 2019

Inspection Report

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08 February 2017

Inspection Report

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10 April 2013

Inspection Report

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09 January 2012

Inspection Report

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17 June 2009

Inspection Report

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15 February 2006

Inspection Report

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30 October 2000

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2022-10-11

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2 EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2019-03-20

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2017-02-08

None Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2013-04-10

None Legacy

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

3.7%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

3.1%(32 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

2pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,045 pupils. During this period, there were 39 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 3.7%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,045	39	3.7%	7.3%	2
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,053	52	4.9%	7.8%	1
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,018	23	2.3%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,026	31	3.0%	7.1%	2
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,033	24	2.3%	8.2%	1
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,032	6	0.6%	6.6%	1
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,040	15	1.4%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,038	20	1.9%	5.9%	1
2021/22 (Summer term)	979	14	1.4%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	989	25	2.5%	4.9%	3
2021/22 (Autumn term)	988	17	1.7%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	892	15	1.7%	3.6%	1
2020/21 (Spring term)	901	4	0.4%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	904	14	1.5%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	864	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	864	9	1.0%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	869	14	1.6%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	851	19	2.2%	3.1%	2
2018/19 (Spring term)	857	17	2.0%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	866	16	1.8%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	827	19	2.3%	3.4%	1
2017/18 (Spring term)	826	12	1.5%	3.0%	1
2017/18 (Autumn term)	832	22	2.6%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	860	15	1.7%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	858	8	0.9%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	866	16	1.8%	3.1%	1

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 112 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 90 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 39 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 26 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 23 pupils

Physical Disability 11 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 7 pupils

Visual Impairment 6 pupils

Hearing Impairment 2 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

91.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

92.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

18.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree42%

agree38%

disagree15%

strongly disagree3%

don't know3%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree37%

agree37%

disagree20%

strongly disagree1%

don't know5%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree44%

agree18%

disagree9%

strongly disagree5%

not applicable24%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes39%

no61%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree48%

agree32%

disagree6%

strongly disagree10%

dont know3%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree48%

agree33%

disagree8%

strongly disagree3%

don't know9%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree44%

agree43%

disagree5%

strongly disagree3%

don't know5%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree44%

agree41%

disagree14%

don't know1%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree58%

agree39%

disagree3%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree53%

agree39%

disagree4%

don't know4%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree43%

agree29%

disagree13%

strongly disagree3%

don't know13%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes86%

no14%

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Wirral

West Kirby Grammar School

Wirral Grammar School for Girls

Calday Grange Grammar School

Upton Hall School FCJ

Wirral Grammar School for Boys

St Anselm's College