Hilbre High School, Wirral

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Hilbre High School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify pupils' needs quickly and accurately."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' results in national examinations have remained below national averages."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' overall attendance has been below national average for some time."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "In some subjects and phases, the teaching of the curriculum is not implemented well."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "There have been significant changes to leadership and staffing in recent years."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Pupils learn about the characteristics protected by law and the fundamental British values."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Outcomes for sixth-form students are not as high as leaders want them to be."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should carefully evaluate and refine their strategies to improve rates of attendance so that pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, attend school regularly and that recent gains are sustained over time"; "Leaders should ensure that their high expectations for behaviour are maintained through the consistent application of systems and protocols by staff, so that pupils conduct themselves consistently well"; "Leaders should ensure that high-quality teaching implements the curriculum effectively across all key stages, in order to maximise pupils' and students' development of essential skills and their attainment in national examinations"; "Leaders should ensure that across all key stages, staff use assessment strategies effectively to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge, so that pupils are supported effectively to correct their misconceptions and secure their learning"; "Leaders should ensure that the programme for personal development develops pupils' understanding of fundamental British values and the protected characteristics fully, and that the careers offer better aligns with pupils' and students' needs, in order that pupils are fully prepared for their future in modern Britain".

In its own words: "Hilbre is a hard-working, lively academy where we believe that learning is an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all our students."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Hilbre High School. It is an absolute privilege and honour to be the Headteacher of a school that sits at the heart of its community and works relentlessly every day to provide the very best education for all pupils, no matter their background."

In 2026, pupils at Hilbre High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in Wirral and 47 across England.

27% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Wirral and 47% in England.

That is down from 39 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.43: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 33, against 40 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 181 families put Hilbre High School as their first choice and 578 named it as one of their preferences, for 178 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 15 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Hilbre High School are Calday Grange Grammar School (0.6 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 63.7); West Kirby Grammar School (1 mile, Good, selective, Attainment 8 68.6); Upton Hall School FCJ (2.6 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 65.6); and Pensby High School (3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.9).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Hilbre High School.

Hilbre High School is one of 13 schools run by Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

111 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hilbre High School (as of April 2026): 69% would recommend the school, 70% say their child is happy there and 35% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (70%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (35%).

Of the 197 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 26% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 96 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 48% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 21% into work. 3% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 202 pupils (17.5%) received SEN support and 131 (11.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Hilbre High School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 30 places, 30 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is West Kirby Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hilbre High School (w-bound), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hilbre High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 51 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wirral (155).

In 2024/25, Hilbre High School issued 181 suspensions, 15.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Hilbre High School are Black Horse Hill Junior School (0.1 miles), Black Horse Hill Infant School (0.1 miles), West Kirby St Bridget's CofE Primary School (0.8 miles) and West Kirby Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.