St Anselm's College vs West Kirby Grammar School
Both are grammar schools in Wirral, 5.7 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| St Anselm's College | West Kirby Grammar School | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Boys | Girls |
| Pupils on roll | 985 | 1,186 |
| Free school meals | 11.8% | 7.8% |
| Ofsted rating | Good | Good |
| Attainment 8 — 2024/25 | 57.2 | 71.3 |
| A-level average points — 2024/25 | 37.72 | 39.32 |
| 11+ test board | Quest Assessments (switched from GL Assessment; from September 2026 test / 2027 entry onwards) | Quest Assessments (switched from GL Assessment; from September 2026 test / 2027 entry onwards) |
| Admission system | pass/fail then criteria order | pass/fail then criteria order |
| Places offered — 202627 | 157 | 172 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 0.99 | 0.95 |
Qualifying scores
St Anselm's College
No fixed pass mark. St Anselm's College offers its ~140 Year 7 places in rank order of total score on its own 3-paper entrance test (VR, maths, English incl. writing), with Catholic oversubscription categories applied.
West Kirby Grammar School
236 (2026 entry)
Wirral Admissions Test standard: a combined standardised score of 236 or above across the two papers has been the reported qualifying level in recent years (set by the schools; verify current year with the school). Meeting the standard does not guarantee a place — oversubscription criteria apply.
Who gets priority
Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.
St Anselm's College
- Baptised Catholic Looked After and previously Looked After Boys
- Baptised Catholic boys living in the relevant area (Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester, and other areas within 10 miles o
- All other Looked After and previously Looked After boys
- Baptised Christian, non-Catholic boys, living in the relevant area
Source: school admissions policy.
West Kirby Grammar School
- Looked after child or previously looked after child
- Valid medical reason supported by a doctor's letter
- Up to 18 places: Free School Meals children achieving the qualifying score, ranked by distance from school
- Students with a sibling at the school at time of application
Source: school admissions policy.
Choosing between them
St Anselm's College is a boys school and West Kirby Grammar School is a girls school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.
Other Wirral comparisons
- Calday Grange Grammar School vs St Anselm's College
- Calday Grange Grammar School vs Upton Hall School FCJ
- Calday Grange Grammar School vs West Kirby Grammar School
- Calday Grange Grammar School vs Wirral Grammar School for Boys
- Calday Grange Grammar School vs Wirral Grammar School for Girls
- St Anselm's College vs Upton Hall School FCJ
- St Anselm's College vs Wirral Grammar School for Boys
- St Anselm's College vs Wirral Grammar School for Girls
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