Birkenhead High School Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,226 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.5
Academy sponsor led
St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,073of 1,300 places
- Free school meals
- 47.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 204
- Ofsted
- Report card, 27 January 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Mary's Catholic College (URN 105110, until 14 September 2016).
What the data says
Of the 176 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy in 2023, 42% stayed on in St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy’s own sixth form (Wirral average 38%), 28% went to a further education college and 6% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 77 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 44% went to university (Wirral 39%, England 37%), and 9% 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 33.2 against 46.1 across England and 45.3 in Wirral, with 17% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
11% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
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 | This school | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 176 | 3,848 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 77% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 42% | 38% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 6% | 19% | 13% |
| — further education college | 28% | 25% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 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 | This school | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 77 | 3,298 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 82% | 79% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 44% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 9% | 23% | 19% |
| Further education | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 25% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 12% | 16% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 33.2 | 45.3 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 17% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 35% | 62% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 17% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.55 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 46% | 33% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 23.2 | 32.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 41.7 | 51.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 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 | 203 | 100% | 89% | 5% | 20% | 47% |
| Mathematics | 203 | 100% | 88% | 3% | 22% | 41% |
| English Literature | 197 | 97% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 48% |
| Religious Studies | 180 | 88% | 31% | 12% | 32% | 46% |
| Combined Science | 152 | 75% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 28% |
| History | 72 | 35% | 41% | 13% | 26% | 50% |
| Geography | 53 | 26% | 41% | 13% | 25% | 57% |
| Art and Design | 48 | 24% | 7% | 17% | 24% | 83% |
| Biology | 34 | 17% | 23% | 6% | 45% | 82% |
| Chemistry | 34 | 17% | 23% | 6% | 47% | 79% |
| Physics | 34 | 17% | 23% | 9% | 46% | 74% |
| French | 33 | 16% | 18% | 3% | 29% | 58% |
| Design and Technology | 29 | 14% | 11% | 7% | 23% | 41% |
| Psychology | 17 | 8% | 3% | 6% | 22% | 53% |
| Computer Science | 13 | 6% | 13% | 15% | 30% | 38% |
| Photography | 3 | 1% | 6% | — | 19% | — |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Music | 1 | 0% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 1 | 0% | 8% | — | 21% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 53 | 100% | — |
| Sports Coaching | 44 | 100% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 41 | 100% | — |
| Engineering Studies | 36 | 100% | — |
| Small Business Management | 34 | 100% | — |
| Multimedia | 33 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 28 | 100% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 19 | 73% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 13 | 50% | — |
| Dance: General | 12 | 46% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 11 | 42% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Wirral | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 108 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 26 | 1,844 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D+ | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 22.56 | 35.37 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C- | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 7 | 27% | 23% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | 2% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 17 | 65% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 54% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 54% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 27% | — |
| Multimedia | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 23% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Computing and IT Advanced Technician | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*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.