Edstart Schools Wirral, Wallasey
Edstart Schools Wirral is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Wallasey. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Edstart Schools Wirral in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Edstart Schools Wirral are Elleray Park School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); Kilgarth School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); IMPACT Northwest Schools (1.6 miles, Good); and The Observatory School (1.8 miles, Good).
Elleray Park SchoolKilgarth SchoolIMPACT Northwest SchoolsThe Observatory School
Who goes there
In 2026, 41 pupils (82%) received SEN support and 9 (18%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wallasey Village Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
21 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Croxteth Avenue (opposite), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Edstart Schools Wirral stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 327 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wirral (155), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 11 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Edstart Schools Wirral demonstrates strong safeguarding and health and safety practices, with staff who understand their responsibilities and respond quickly to any concerns about pupils' welfare. The school has well-maintained premises with plenty of space and appropriate facilities, supported by experienced leadership that has carefully planned for growth while maintaining current high standards. Staff are thoroughly vetted and receive comprehensive training to ensure pupils are well-supervised and supported throughout the school day.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding practices with well-understood policies consistently applied by staff and swift responses to welfare concerns
- Effective health and safety procedures including regular equipment checks, fire safety compliance, and comprehensive risk assessments
- Well-maintained premises with ample teaching spaces across three floors and appropriate facilities for the proposed increase in pupil numbers
- Experienced leadership team with secure awareness of standards and recent improvements to quality review systems
- Robust staff recruitment and induction procedures with comprehensive pre-employment checks
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has an up-to-date policy that is well understood and consistently applied by staff, with all staff undertaking annual training and leaders responding swiftly to concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Physical education at local sports centre
Edstart Schools Wirral is an independent special school for pupils aged 11-16 who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of exclusion from mainstream schools, or have special educational needs. The school is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards if approved to increase its pupil capacity from 50 to 60 students.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Edstart Schools Wirral
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 57
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 22
- Children hurt
- 15
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 57 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 22 serious and 35 slight.
15 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 6 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Wirral is 15 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
83%
Available places
50 pupils
60 places
10 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wallasey
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wallasey
Across Wirral council
Places available
3,889
Applications
3,305
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Wirral council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Edstart Schools Wirral is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
50
Total Pupils
34
Boys
16
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Edstart Schools Wirral
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Edstart Schools Wirral
What are GCSE results like at Edstart Schools Wirral?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Edstart Schools Wirral can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Edstart Schools Wirral's Ofsted rating?
Edstart Schools Wirral's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2025, it was rated Good.
Does Edstart Schools Wirral meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2025, Edstart Schools Wirral met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Edstart Schools Wirral?
Edstart Schools Wirral has around 50 pupils on roll.
Does Edstart Schools Wirral have specialist SEN provision?
Edstart Schools Wirral is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Edstart Schools Wirral?
Edstart Schools Wirral is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Edstart Schools Wirral?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 57 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 22 serious and 35 slight. 15 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 6 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Wirral is 15 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Edstart Schools Wirral?
Edstart Schools Wirral is at 237 Liscard Road, Wallasey, Cheshire, CH44 5TH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)