Hilbre High School

Overall, Hilbre High School is going through a period of significant change and is not yet consistently providing the quality of education its pupils deserve. Safeguarding is met and inclusion is a relative strength: leaders identify pupils’ needs quickly, work well with families and external services, use funding appropriately and support pupils with SEND through the specially resourced provision. Pastoral care is effective, pupils feel safe, and relationships are generally positive. However, most other areas need attention, particularly achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, personal development, and post-16 provision. Pupils’ outcomes over time have remained below national averages, with disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND achieving less well across the curriculum. Teaching is not consistently strong; some teachers’ subject knowledge is insecure, assessment does not reliably identify gaps, and expectations are not high enough in some areas. Attendance has been below average and persistent absence is high, though recent strategies are beginning to produce incremental improvements. Behaviour has improved in many ways, but inconsistencies in applying the policy remain, and some pupils are not consistently well prepared for life in modern Britain because their knowledge of fundamental British values and protected characteristics is uneven. The school is part of Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust and has had substantial leadership and staffing changes, including a new headteacher and acting deputy headteachers in September 2025. Trust and school leaders have begun to stabilise the school, improve the culture and support staff, and governance is committed. Much of the improvement work is new and not yet securely embedded, so impact on teaching, attendance and achievement is still limited. The sixth form has a positive ethos and suitable study programme, but outcomes and the match of careers experiences to students’ aspirations require further development.

Strengths

• Leaders identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately and seek specialist advice when appropriate.
• The school works well with the local authority, parents, carers and external services.
• The specially resourced provision supports pupils with SEND well, including academic progress and social inclusion.
• Leaders use additional funding effectively to reduce barriers for disadvantaged pupils.
• Oversight of alternative provision keeps pupils safe and supported to learn an appropriate curriculum.
• Recent attendance strategies are beginning to improve overall attendance and reduce persistent absence.
• Clearer expectations and strengthened behaviour systems are creating a calmer start to the day and improved culture.
• Pupils generally feel safe, relationships are positive and staff respond promptly to wellbeing concerns.
• Pastoral support for mental health and wellbeing is effective.
• The curriculum offers a broad range of academic and vocational subjects, and most subject content is carefully sequenced.
• Leaders make reading a priority and provide planned time to read more widely.
• The PSHE curriculum is well thought out and responsive to emerging issues.
• Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities, trips and leadership roles.
• Pupils receive helpful impartial careers advice and work experience.
• Staff feel well supported with workload and wellbeing.
• Governance is highly committed, knows the school well and provides effective support and challenge.
• The sixth form has a positive, friendly ethos and effective pastoral systems and mentoring.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ results in national examinations have remained below national averages over time.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not achieve well across the curriculum.
• Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough in some parts of the curriculum.
• Some teachers’ subject knowledge is not secure, and curriculum implementation is inconsistent.
• Assessment is not used effectively enough to identify gaps and misconceptions.
• Teaching does not consistently build on pupils’ prior learning or adapt to their needs.
• Pupils’ overall attendance has been below national average for some time.
• Persistent absence is above national average, and sustained improvement for vulnerable pupils is not evident.
• Behaviour policy is applied inconsistently, leading to poor behaviour from a minority, particularly at social times and lesson changeovers.
• Pupils’ knowledge of fundamental British values and protected characteristics is uneven and sometimes lacks depth.
• Leaders have not evaluated the impact of extra-curricular participation on pupils.
• Careers talks and visits are not well matched to pupils’ and students’ aspirations.
• Outcomes for sixth-form students are not high enough in academic and vocational courses.
• Some sixth-form teaching weaknesses mean students do not secure knowledge well.
• Reading support for older pupils who need help is not as well embedded as for younger pupils.
• Strategies to improve handwriting and number skills are underdeveloped.
• Much improvement work is new and has not yet had enough time to impact positively.
• Some staff do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve.
• Recent gains in attendance are not yet sustained, especially for vulnerable pupils.

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 Hilbre High School attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.4% 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, 7.4% of pupils at Hilbre High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were 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 Hilbre High School had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 17.5% of pupils at Hilbre High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 11.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 35 pupils.

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 Hilbre High School received £9,657 and spent £8,528 for each of its 1,175 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £499,000 (£425 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,110 and spending £7,287 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 Wirral · Wirral local authority: places and applications

Hilbre High School is part of Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Black Horse Hill Junior School Wirral
• Greasby Junior School Wirral
• Great Meols Primary School Wirral
• Irby Primary School Wirral
• Orrets Meadow School Wirral
• Thingwall Primary School Wirral
• Heswall Primary School Wirral
• Egremont Primary School Wallasey
• Brackenwood Junior School Wirral
• Stanton Road Primary School Wirral

What is Hilbre High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hilbre High School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Hilbre High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hilbre High School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Hilbre High School have?

Hilbre High School has 1,154 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hilbre High School cover?

Hilbre High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Hilbre High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.8, and 27% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Hilbre High School?

Hilbre High School is at Frankby Road, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH48 6EQ.