Apply to Wirral Grammar School for Girls, in plain English.
Wirral Grammar School for Girls is a selective girls' grammar in Bebington on the Wirral 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 girl who reaches the qualifying score of 236 can be considered. With around 397 children applying for the 180 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 Girls, Wirral Boys, 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 Girls has no designated catchment area, so a qualifying girl from anywhere can apply. But beyond the qualifying score the test result is not a rank: after a few small priority groups (looked-after children, a medical need, up to 15 Free School Meal places, sisters and staff children), the remaining places go to the qualifying girls who live nearest the school. So where you live matters a great deal.
Up to 15 places are reserved for girls on Free School Meals — flag it on the form.
Of the 180 places, up to 15 are set aside for qualifying girls eligible for Targeted Free School MealsTargeted Free School MealsA place reserved for qualifying girls who are eligible for Free School Meals at the time of application. Wirral Girls sets aside up to 15 of its 180 places for this group, allocated in order of distance from the school, to widen access for disadvantaged families. at the time of application, allocated in order of distance from the school. You name Wirral Girls 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 girls 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: After any girl with an Education, Health and Care Plan that names the school, the first qualifying places go to children in care and to children who were previously looked after but left care through adoption, a child arrangements order or special guardianship — including those adopted from state care outside England. This is a statutory priority set by law.
What the document says: 'Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children' (CLA)… This category includes children who have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
In plain English: Next come qualifying girls with a valid medical reason for needing a place at this particular school, supported in writing by a doctor. This is uncommon and the evidence is verified by a medical officer of the Area Health Authority.
What the document says: To those girls with a valid medical reason supported by a doctor's letter. Details must be given on the preference form and will be verified by a medical officer of the Area Health Authority.
In plain English: Up to 15 places are set aside for qualifying girls who are eligible for Free School Meals at the time of application. Within this group the places are filled in order of distance from the school — the nearest eligible girls first — which widens access for disadvantaged families. Give the details on the preference form so Wirral can verify them.
What the document says: Up to 15 places for girls eligible for on Targeted Free School Meals at the time of application in rank order of distance from the school. Details must be given on the preference form and will be verified by Wirral Local Authority.
In plain English: Qualifying girls who have a sister at the school at the time of application come next, provided that sister is reasonably expected to still be on roll when the new pupil starts. A sister means a sister by the same parents, or a half- or step-sister living in the same household.
What the document says: To those girls who have a sister (sibling) attending the school at the time of application with a reasonable expectation that they will be attending at the same time of the start of the new academic year. Sister is defined as either (i) a sister by the same parents or (ii) a half or step-sister living in the same household.
In plain English: A qualifying daughter 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: Daughter of members of staff employed by the school provided that they have been employed for a minimum of two years and/or are recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage.
In plain English: Once the groups above are filled, the rest of the places go to the qualifying girls who live closest to the school. This is the single largest group, so living near Wirral Girls is the biggest factor once your daughter has qualified. Distance is measured from home to the nearest school gate by the shortest road route — or a footpath the school considers a safe walking route — and ties are settled by random allocation.
What the document says: Distance from the home address to Wirral Grammar School for Girls. Distances will be measured from the home to the school gate nearest to the child's home using the shortest road route unless it is possible to use a footpath which is considered by the school to be a safe walking route.
How the places really go: The priority groups (looked-after children, a medical need, up to 15 Free School Meal places, sisters and staff children) take a minority of the 180 places. The bulk are decided on shortest distance to the school — so once your daughter has qualified, how close you live is the single biggest factor.
No boundary — but distance decides most of the places.
Wirral Girls has no designated catchment, so a qualifying girl 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 (looked-after children, a medical need, up to 15 Free School Meal places, sisters and staff children), the remaining places — the largest group — go to the qualifying girls 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 nearest school gate using the shortest road route (or a safe walking footpath), with ties settled by random allocation. Wirral Girls does fill on distance: the furthest distance offered was about 6.83 miles in 2025 and 7.79 miles in 2024, so the circle on our map reflects that recent cutoff — though the exact distance shifts year to year, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee.
See Wirral Girls' 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 Girls. 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 girls 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 by Wirral Local Authority until 31 December 2027, 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 daughter 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 Appeals Code. Appealing does not remove your child from the waiting list — you can do both.
Joining Year 12 from outside.
Wirral Girls welcomes a number of external students into its sixth form each year alongside its own Year 11s.
The grade floor.
Entry is by GCSE results. The standard is at least four GCSEs at grade 6 plus two more at grade 5, which must include English Language or Literature and Mathematics (where a BTEC has been studied, the minimum is a Merit). On top of that, each A level subject has its own entry requirement — a grade 6 in that subject for most, rising to a grade 7 to study Mathematics, Chemistry or Physics. Existing pupils have priority, and every request is considered on an individual basis.
Apply direct to the school.
Existing pupils have priority, but the school welcomes a number of girls finishing Year 11 elsewhere each year. External applicants apply directly to Wirral Girls and are offered a place once they meet the GCSE entry requirements above, including the published requirement for each A level subject they wish to take. The planned admission number for Year 12 is 180.