St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School, Birkenhead
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Birkenhead. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 12 schools in Birkenhead with published results, and 13,056th of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wirral (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "As a Christ centred community, we encourage each person to reach their full potential. At St Werburgh’s Catholic Primary School we teach our children to love one another. It is our Mission to support our wider community - especially those who are in need of our help and support ."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama, coding, Lego and STEM.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 69% in Wirral and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 21% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 42 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School are Woodlands Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 66% reading, 74% maths); Birkenhead Christ Church CofE Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 83% reading, 67% maths); Woodchurch Road Academy (0.5 miles, 74% reading, 72% maths); and Mersey Park Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 86% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School.
Woodlands Primary SchoolBirkenhead Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolWoodchurch Road AcademyMersey Park Primary School
Who goes there
55.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 37.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%), Asian (27%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 75 pupils (35.7%) received SEN support and 6 (2.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Birkenhead Central Rail Station, about 670 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shaw Street (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School 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 584 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wirral (155), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School issued 22 suspensions, 9.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School are Birkenhead Park School (0.6 miles), St Anselm's College (0.8 miles) and Birkenhead High School Academy (0.8 miles).
Birkenhead Park SchoolSt Anselm's CollegeBirkenhead High School Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Werburgh's creates a happy, welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The school has strong phonics teaching and builds a genuine love of reading from the early years onwards. Teachers are well-trained and explain new learning clearly, with excellent support available for pupils who find learning difficult.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching and love of reading across the school, with well-chosen books that engage pupils
- Excellent early years provision where staff understand how young children learn best
- Well-trained staff with secure subject knowledge who design interesting learning activities
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, helping them catch up quickly
- Calm, orderly classrooms where pupils feel safe and supported to learn
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects have not logically ordered the sequence of learning, which can prevent pupils from building confidence with new content
- Assessment strategies in some subjects do not give teachers clear enough information about what pupils have learned and remembered
- Historic curriculum weaknesses mean published achievement data does not yet reflect recent improvements in pupil learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear systems in place to keep pupils safe and secure.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical instrument lessons, performances, school council, reading rewards programme
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is rated Good overall, showing significant improvement from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating. Parents, staff and pupils speak positively about the school, which provides a happy, safe and nurturing learning environment.
At a Glance
55.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 68% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 21% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.2
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
22.5
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Wirral
Term dates
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Wirral's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is in Wirral; for families living there:
Apply to Wirral for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 60
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 45 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 5 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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
Your chances of a place at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wirral, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wirral got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
84%
Available places
177 pupils
210 places
33 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Birkenhead
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birkenhead
Across Wirral council
Places available
3,820
Applications
3,017
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Wirral council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
75
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
38.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
210
Total Pupils
103
Boys
107
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,948
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,828
Per pupil
£1424k
Total funding
£138k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
29.4%
Persistent absence
160
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2020 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Wirral allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School average 21.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School has around 210 pupils on roll. 56% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
8.8% of sessions were missed at St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 29.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Wirral's coordinated admissions process, naming St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 45 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 5 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School?
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School is at Park Grove, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 2TD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)