IMPACT Northwest Schools, Birkenhead
IMPACT Northwest Schools is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Birkenhead. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
IMPACT Northwest Schools in detail
IMPACT Northwest Schools in its own words
In its own words: "Schools teach British Values to help children grow into responsible, respectful, and active members of society. These values include democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. By understanding these principles, children learn to respect others, participate in their communities, and contribute to a positive and fair society."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to IMPACT Northwest Schools are Kilgarth School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); Edstart Schools Wirral (1.6 miles, Good); Utopia (1.7 miles, Good); and Horizons Independent School (2 miles, selective).
Kilgarth SchoolEdstart Schools WirralUtopiaHorizons Independent School
Who goes there
In 2026, 25 pupils (34.7%) received SEN support and 47 (65.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Conway Park Rail Station, about 520 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Freeman Street (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood IMPACT Northwest Schools stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 460 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. 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 · 2 years 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 April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school demonstrates strong commitment to pupil safety and wellbeing with excellent safeguarding practices and well-maintained facilities. Leaders have carefully planned how to manage the expansion while maintaining high standards of care and support. The school provides appropriate supervision and specialized support for pupils with special educational needs and social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture with detailed policies, trained staff, and clear procedures to protect pupils from harm
- Excellent health and safety standards with regular site checks, robust fire safety compliance, and detailed risk assessments that consider pupils' individual needs
- Well-maintained premises with appropriate facilities including gym, flexible teaching spaces, secure outdoor areas, and suitable toilets and medical facilities
- Clear leadership and management with defined roles and expertise to maintain high standards during expansion
- Rigorous recruitment procedures with thorough safeguarding checks completed before staff employment
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with a comprehensive policy reflecting current statutory guidance, a trained safeguarding team, and detailed procedures to protect pupils from harm.
Extracurricular Activities
PE (on and off-site), gym facilities, use of local facilities
IMPACT Northwest Schools is an independent special school for pupils aged 11-16 with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The inspection assessed the school's readiness to expand from 30 to 94 pupils and add additional premises.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from IMPACT Northwest Schools
Impact North West Schools Celebrates Transformative GCSE and Vocational Success
20 Aug 2026
INWSLTR #6
20 Jul 2026
We Are Proud to Be Awarded Investors in People Silver Accreditation
17 Jul 2026
INWSLTR #5
22 May 2026
INWS Proud to Retain Our ‘Centre of Excellence’ Status
14 May 2026
INWSLTR #4
27 Mar 2026
From IMPACT Northwest Schools's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with IMPACT Northwest Schools
Getting There
Train Stations
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 29
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 19 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
4 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
77%
Available places
72 pupils
94 places
22 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Birkenhead
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birkenhead
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
25
SEN Support
47
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
IMPACT Northwest Schools 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
72
Total Pupils
44
Boys
28
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
IMPACT Northwest Schools
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about IMPACT Northwest Schools
What are GCSE results like at IMPACT Northwest Schools?
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 IMPACT Northwest Schools can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is IMPACT Northwest Schools's Ofsted rating?
IMPACT Northwest Schools's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2024, it was rated Good.
Does IMPACT Northwest Schools meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2024, IMPACT Northwest Schools met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to IMPACT Northwest Schools?
IMPACT Northwest Schools has around 72 pupils on roll.
Does IMPACT Northwest Schools have specialist SEN provision?
IMPACT Northwest Schools is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to IMPACT Northwest Schools?
IMPACT Northwest Schools 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 IMPACT Northwest Schools?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 19 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 4 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 IMPACT Northwest Schools?
IMPACT Northwest Schools is at Unit 1-4 Tower House, Tower Road, Birkenhead, CH41 1FF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)