Birkenhead High School Academy

Birkenhead High School Academy has been rated as good overall, reflecting a significant improvement since its last outstanding inspection. Pupils express pride and satisfaction in their school, benefiting from a supportive environment that promotes diversity and encourages participation in a broad curriculum. The school enhances personal development opportunities, especially in the sixth form, preparing students well for future academic pursuits and careers. Leadership is effective, with systems in place for continuous staff training and a well-structured curriculum that flows from early years through to sixth form education.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy and safe at school.
• Effective leadership and management.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and preparing students for life in modern Britain.
• Wide range of enrichment opportunities available to pupils.
• High expectations for behavior among pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment systems by some teachers.
• Not all pupils at earlier stages of reading receive adequate phonics teaching.
• A small number of disadvantaged pupils face challenges in their learning progression.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Birkenhead High School Academy attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.1% of pupils at Birkenhead High School Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Birkenhead High School Academy had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.5% of pupils at Birkenhead High School Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Birkenhead High School Academy received £7,342 and spent £6,653 for each of its 1,208 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £492,000 (£407 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Gdst Academy Trust, income was £7,520 and spending £6,870 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Prenton · Wirral local authority: places and applications

Birkenhead High School Academy is part of Gdst Academy Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• The Belvedere Academy Liverpool

What is Birkenhead High School Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Birkenhead High School Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Birkenhead High School Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Birkenhead High School Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Birkenhead High School Academy have?

Birkenhead High School Academy has 1,226 pupils on roll.

What age range does Birkenhead High School Academy cover?

Birkenhead High School Academy for pupils aged 3 to 19.

What are Birkenhead High School Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.1, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Birkenhead High School Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Birkenhead High School Academy?

Birkenhead High School Academy is at 86 Devonshire Place, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 1TY.