Hilbre High School
101%
Capacity
1,174
Pupils
3.4x
Demand
About Hilbre High School
Hilbre High School is a mixed state secondary and sixth form in the Wirral local authority, where it ranks 16th out of 22 same-type schools by Progress 8 score, placing it in the bottom half locally. The three highest-performing peers in the area are Upton Hall School FCJ, Birkenhead High School Academy, and West Kirby Grammar School, all of which sit some distance ahead on the rankings. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Upton Hall School FCJ, about 4.2 km away. Hilbre itself was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2016, and an ungraded visit in 2021 confirmed it remains Good. That marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2014, when it was judged to require improvement. The school is led by headteacher John Barlow and has no religious character.
Academically, Hilbre’s Progress 8 score for 2023/24 is -0.43, which is below the Wirral local authority average of -0.12 and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally. Its Attainment 8 score is 35.4, and just 24.4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs, compared with 45.2% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 7.6%, and only 3.6% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is similar: value added is -0.28, which is below average, and the average points per entry is 24.28, equivalent to a D+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at grade C. Ofsted rated the sixth form as Good in 2016, and the leadership and management of the school also received a Good rating at that inspection.
Hilbre is a popular school, receiving 593 applications for 176 places in 2025/26, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 3.37 applicants per place. Of 205 first-preference applications, 162 were offered places. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, science labs, sports hall, tennis courts, astro turf, gymnasium, library, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, swimming, netball, tennis, dance, and martial arts, while clubs range from drama and coding to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, visual and multi-sensory impairment, and physical disability, with a resourced provision on site. This breadth of support, combined with the sixth form and varied extracurriculars, makes Hilbre a practical choice for families in Wirral seeking a large, inclusive secondary with strong pastoral and SEND infrastructure.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Frankby Road, Wirral, Wirral, CH48 6EQ |
| Headteacher | John Barlow |
| Local Authority | Wirral |
| Number of Pupils | 1,174 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 28.3% |
| School Capacity | 1,174 / 1,160 (101% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
13 Oct 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (13 Oct 2021): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 25 Jul 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.43)
2501st of 3,141
Nationally
314th of 445
In North West
16th of 20
In Wirral
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
27.3
'22/23
17.3
'23/24
24.3
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2347%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 180 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)47%
- FE college32%
- Sixth form college8%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship2%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2339%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 76 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
15%
Russell Group
15%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)39%
- Employment26%
- Other education11%
- Not sustained9%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Further education5%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology19
- Biology12
- Chemistry9
- Media/Film/Tv Studies9
- Business Studies:Single8
- English Language and Literature8
- Art and Design7
- Physics6
- Design and Technology (Product Design)5
- Geography5
- Spanish5
- History4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed176
593
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
205 families put this school as their 1st choice (35% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:10
Source: hilbre.wirral.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British91.0%
- Mixed3.8%
- White (other)2.6%
- Asian1.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Hilbre High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Frankby Road, Wirral
Wirral, CH48 6EQ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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