Apply to Wirral Grammar School for Boys, in plain English.
Wirral Grammar School for Boys is a selective boys' grammar in Bebington on the Wirral (with a co-educational sixth form) that admits on the Wirral 11+ — you register for the test with Wirral Council separately from your council application, and the deadline is 1 June 2026. There is no catchment area: any boy who reaches the qualifying score of 236 can be considered. With around 381 children applying for the 170 places, a qualifying score does not guarantee an offer — after a few small priority groups, most of the remaining places go to the children living nearest the school.
The three things to know first.
If you read nothing else on this page, read these.
You sit one test — the Wirral 11+ — and you register with Wirral Council by 1 June 2026.
The Wirral 11+ (the Secondary Transfer Test) is run by Wirral Council and shared by the four secular Wirral grammars — Wirral Boys, Wirral Girls, Calday Grange and West Kirby. Children sit two papers — verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics — on Tuesday 15 September 2026. You register through Wirral Council, separately from your council's school application, and the window closes at 12 noon on 1 June 2026. A combined standardised score of 236 or above reaches the grammar school standard.
There is no catchment — but distance decides most of the places.
Wirral Boys has no designated catchment area, so a qualifying boy from anywhere can apply. But beyond the qualifying score the test result is not a rank: after a few small priority groups (up to 30 places for children in care and disadvantaged learners, then a medical need, siblings and staff children), the remaining places go to the qualifying boys who live nearest the school. So where you live matters a great deal.
Up to 30 places are reserved for care leavers and disadvantaged learners — flag it on the form.
Of the 170 places, up to 30 go first to looked-after children and to qualifying children with the Pupil Premium or Service PremiumPupil Premium / Service PremiumExtra funding for children from lower-income families (Pupil Premium) or armed-forces families (Service Premium). Wirral Boys reserves up to 30 places — shared with looked-after children — for this group, who can also qualify with a score up to 5 marks below the usual standard.. Uniquely, this group can qualify with a score up to 5 marks below the usual standard. You name Wirral Boys on your home council's application form by 31 October 2026 — passing the test is not an application on its own.
Five steps — starting now.
If more qualifying children apply than there are places, these criteria decide.
Only boys who reach the qualifying score of 236 are considered. Among them, places are allocated in the order below; once the small priority groups are filled, the rest of the places go to the children who live nearest the school. Tap any criterion to see the exact wording.
In plain English: The first up to 30 places go together to looked-after and previously looked-after children and to qualifying children with the Pupil Premium or Service Premium. Uniquely, this group can be admitted with a standardised score up to 5 marks below the usual qualifying standard, which widens access for disadvantaged families. Looked-after status is a statutory priority.
What the document says: Up to 30 places for Looked After Children and/or Previously Looked After Children* in care outside of England, or Children with Pupil Premium or Service Premium with a score at and above the eligible score or, up to 5 marks below the eligible score.
In plain English: Next come qualifying children with a valid medical reason for needing a place at this particular school, supported in writing by a senior health-care professional. This is uncommon and the evidence may be checked by a medical officer of the health authority.
What the document says: Children who have a valid medical reason for a specific placement. You must give details on the preference form, and this may be checked by a medical officer of the health authority. A letter in support from a senior health care professional will be required as evidence when you submit your preference form. You need to make it clear why only this school is appropriate for your child's medical needs.
In plain English: Qualifying children who have a brother or sister at the school at the time of application come next. This covers step, foster and adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address.
What the document says: Siblings. Siblings include step siblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address, who attend the school at the time of application.
In plain English: A qualifying son of a member of staff comes next, where the staff member has worked at the school for two or more years, or was recently recruited to fill a post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
What the document says: Children of Staff. Staff must have been employed by the School for a minimum of two years or have been recently employed to a post with a demonstrable skills shortage.
In plain English: Once the groups above are filled, the rest of the places go to the qualifying boys who live closest to the school. This is the single largest group, so living near Wirral Boys is the biggest factor once your child has qualified. Distance is measured by Wirral Council's computer mapping system, and ties are settled by random allocation.
What the document says: By reference to geographical factors, preference will be given to children with the shortest distance from their home to the school as measured by Wirral Local Authority's computer mapping system.
How the places really go: The priority groups (care leavers and disadvantaged learners, a medical need, siblings and staff children) take a minority of the 170 places. The bulk are decided on shortest distance to the school — so once your son has qualified, how close you live is the single biggest factor.
No boundary — but distance decides most of the places.
Wirral Boys has no designated catchment, so a qualifying boy from anywhere can be considered on equal terms. But beyond the qualifying score of 236 the test result is not a simple rank: after a handful of small priority groups (up to 30 places for children in care and disadvantaged learners, then a medical need, siblings and staff children), the remaining places — the largest group — go to the qualifying boys who live nearest the school. So reaching 236 gets you into the running; how close you live then decides most of the offers.
Distance is measured from your home to the school using Wirral Council's computer mapping system, with ties settled by random allocation. The displayed circle on our map is illustrative only; it is not a real boundary, and no fixed cutoff distance is published.
See Wirral Boys' location on the GrammarBound mapOnce you qualify, the nearer child usually wins.
Child A scored well above 236 but lives a long way from Wirral Boys. Child B only just cleared 236 but lives close by. Because most places are filled by distance once the priority groups are placed, Child B is offered a place ahead of Child A. A qualifying score gets you considered; proximity then does most of the work.
You have two routes, and you can use both.
Waiting list
Qualifying children who were not offered a place are held on a waiting list, ranked by the same oversubscription criteria and re-ordered each time a name is added or removed. The Year 7 waiting list is maintained through Wirral's co-ordinated scheme, and a place can come up at any point if a family declines its offer or moves away.
The waiting list is run through Wirral's co-ordinated admissions scheme.
Appeal
If your child reached the qualifying standard but was not offered a place, you have the right to appeal to an independent panel, which follows the statutory School Admissions Code. Appealing does not remove your child from the waiting list — you can do both.
Joining Year 12 from outside.
Wirral Boys has a co-educational sixth form and welcomes a number of external students each year alongside its own Year 11s.
The grade floor.
Entry is by GCSE results. As a guide, students typically enter the sixth form with a minimum of six GCSE grades at 9–5, including English and Mathematics, plus the published entry requirements for each A level — a grade 6 or 7 in a subject is considered a solid starting point to continue it to A level. The prime concern is that students take courses appropriate to their ability, and every request is considered on an individual basis.
Apply direct to the school.
Existing students have priority, but the school welcomes a number of external students each year. External applicants apply directly to Wirral Boys and are offered a place after a visit to the school and a meeting with the Sixth Form Team; offers are conditional on the August GCSE results. There is no fixed limit on sixth-form entry provided admissions do not prejudice efficient education.