Weatherhead High School
91%
Capacity
1,523
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Weatherhead High School
Weatherhead High School sits within the Wirral local authority, a secondary girls’ school for ages 11 to 18 that ranks 12th out of 20 similar schools in the area on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the local league table. The top-performing peers in Wirral are Upton Hall School FCJ, Birkenhead High School Academy, and West Kirby Grammar School, all of which post stronger academic scores. Weatherhead is a state-funded, non-religious school with no boarding provision, led by headteacher Dominic Mackenzie. It is a large school, with 1,523 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,669, and it is noticeably oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 412 applications for 246 places, with 225 first-preference offers made. That level of demand suggests strong local reputation, even if its raw academic ranking is middling within the borough.
Academically, Weatherhead’s Progress 8 score of -0.27 is below the Wirral local authority average of -0.12, and the school is banded as ‘Below average’ on this measure. Attainment 8 sits at 41.6, and 51.7% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 27.1% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is relatively high at 59.7%, though only 14% achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with all inspected categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — all rated Good. This represents a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2012. At sixth form, the school performs more solidly: the value-added score is 0.08, classed as ‘Average’, and the average points per entry is 34.68, equivalent to a C+ grade, with the best three A-levels averaging a B-.
Weatherhead offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts, music rooms, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rugby, netball, hockey, swimming, and gymnastics, while clubs range from choir and debate to coding, chess, and Young Enterprise. The school has a substantial SEND provision, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 39.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment compared to some of its grammar school neighbours. It will suit families looking for a large, inclusive girls’ school with strong sixth-form options and a wide extracurricular programme, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to consider the higher-ranked peers nearby.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Girls |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Breck Rd, Wallasey, Wirral, CH44 3HS |
| Headteacher | Dominic Mackenzie |
| Local Authority | Wirral |
| Number of Pupils | 1,523 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 39.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,523 / 1,669 (91% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Nov 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 23 Jan 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.27)
2161st of 3,141
Nationally
266th of 445
In North West
12th 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
36.2
'22/23
30.7
'23/24
34.7
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
2022/2363%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 250 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)63%
- FE college19%
- Sixth form college7%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained3%
96% 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
2022/2356%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 179 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
19%
Russell Group
21%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
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)56%
- Employment21%
- Not sustained13%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Further education2%
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- Sociology44
- Psychology37
- Mathematics21
- Art and Design (Photography)18
- English Language17
- Geography17
- Art and Design (Fine Art)15
- Art and Design (Textiles)13
- Chemistry13
- History13
- English Literature11
- Biology9
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
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed246
412
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
225 families put this school as their 1st choice (55% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
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.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British89.1%
- Mixed3.7%
- Asian2.9%
- White (other)1.9%
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.
Half 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.
9
Total schools
7
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.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Weatherhead 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
Breck Rd, Wallasey
Wirral, CH44 3HS
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Weatherhead High School!
Write a Review