School admissions in Wirral

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.

Reception places, September 2026

84 schools. 17 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Brookdale Primary SchoolWIRRAL	1.63	30
Gayton Primary SchoolWirral	1.47	30
Eastway Primary SchoolWirral	1.30	30
Thingwall Primary SchoolWirral	1.23	30
Thornton Hough Primary SchoolWirral	1.22	27
Birkenhead High School AcademyPrenton	1.20	56
Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary and Nursery SchoolWirral	1.18	60
Mersey Park Primary SchoolWirral	1.17	60
Birkenhead Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolBirkenhead	1.10	30
Oxton St Saviour's CofE Primary SchoolPrenton	1.10	30
Poulton Lancelyn Primary SchoolWirral	1.10	61
Bidston Avenue Primary SchoolBirkenhead	1.08	60
SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyWallasey	1.07	30
Co-op Academy PortlandBirkenhead	1.03	30
Heswall Primary SchoolWirral	1.03	30
Irby Primary SchoolWirral	1.03	30
Church Drive Primary SchoolWirral	1.02	45
Black Horse Hill Infant SchoolWirral	1.00	26
Mendell Primary SchoolWirral	1.00	18
Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary SchoolWirral	1.00	5
St Andrew's CofE Primary SchoolWirral	1.00	20
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, WallaseyWallasey	1.00	14
St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolPrenton	1.00	10
St Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolPrenton	1.00	20
St Werburgh's Catholic Primary SchoolBirkenhead	1.00	24
St George's Primary SchoolWallasey	0.99	117
Liscard Primary SchoolWallasey	0.99	90
Heygarth Primary SchoolWirral	0.98	41
Town Lane Infant SchoolWirral	0.97	80
New Brighton Primary SchoolWallasey	0.97	77
Greenleas Primary SchoolWallasey	0.97	37
Co-op Academy WoodsleeWirral	0.97	35
Devonshire Park Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.97	33
West Kirby St Bridget's CofE Primary SchoolWirral	0.97	60
Grove Street Primary SchoolWirral	0.97	29
The Priory Parish CofE Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.97	29
Castleway Primary SchoolWirral	0.96	26
Great Meols Primary SchoolWirral	0.96	49
St John's Catholic Infant SchoolWirral	0.96	49
Barnston Primary SchoolWirral	0.96	45
West Kirby Primary SchoolWirral	0.96	45
Fender Primary SchoolWirral	0.95	44
Riverside Primary SchoolWirral	0.95	22
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolWirral	0.95	21
Greasby Infant SchoolWirral	0.95	60
Moreton Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolWirral	0.95	60
Hoylake Holy Trinity CofE Primary SchoolWirral	0.95	39
Bidston Village CofE (Controlled) Primary SchoolPrenton	0.95	38
Mount Primary SchoolWirral	0.94	32
Christ The King Catholic Primary SchoolWirral	0.93	45
St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary SchoolWirral	0.93	29
Kingsway Primary SchoolWallasey	0.93	14
Park Primary SchoolWallasey	0.93	41
Somerville Primary SchoolWallasey	0.93	41
Townfield Primary SchoolWirral	0.92	53
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BirkenheadPrenton	0.92	25
Brackenwood Infant SchoolWirral	0.92	48
St Anne's Catholic Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.91	23
Co-op Academy HillsidePrenton	0.91	11
Egremont Primary SchoolWallasey	0.91	33
Raeburn Primary SchoolWirral	0.91	55
Well Lane Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.90	21
Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.90	41
Bedford Drive Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.90	40
Prenton Primary SchoolPrenton	0.90	60
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School UptonWirral	0.90	30
Cathcart Street Primary SchoolWirral	0.90	29
Holy Spirit Catholic and Church of England Primary SchoolWirral	0.89	19
Stanton Road Primary SchoolWirral	0.89	27
Woodlands Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.89	36
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyWallasey	0.88	8
Thurstaston Dawpool CofE Primary SchoolWirral	0.88	24
Holy Cross Catholic Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.87	23
Leasowe Primary SchoolWirral	0.86	14
Chapelhill Primary SchoolWirral	0.83	6
Heswall St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolWirral	0.83	30
Lingham Primary SchoolWirral	0.82	28
Rock Ferry Primary SchoolBirkenhead	0.81	32
Overchurch Infant SchoolWirral	0.81	89
Ladymount Catholic Primary SchoolWirral	0.80	30
Pensby Primary SchoolWirral	0.80	30
Woodchurch CofE Primary SchoolWirral	0.78	18
Woodchurch Road AcademyBirkenhead	0.76	21
Manor Primary SchoolWirral	0.73	11

First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.

Year 7 places, September 2026

20 schools. 8 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Birkenhead High School AcademyPrenton	1.41	116
Co-op Academy BebingtonWirral	1.19	177
Wirral Grammar School for BoysWirral	1.14	167
Wirral Grammar School for GirlsWirral	1.12	178
Calday Grange Grammar SchoolWirral	1.10	202
Upton Hall School FCJWirral	1.06	156
Weatherhead High SchoolWallasey	1.05	259
Hilbre High SchoolWirral	1.02	178
St Anselm's CollegePrenton	0.99	157
Woodchurch High SchoolWirral	0.98	253
The Mosslands SchoolWallasey	0.96	138
Pensby High SchoolWirral	0.95	173
St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary AcademyWallasey	0.95	168
West Kirby Grammar SchoolWirral	0.95	172
St John Plessington Catholic CollegeWirral	0.94	207
Prenton High School for GirlsBirkenhead	0.93	147
South Wirral High SchoolWirral	0.92	178
Birkenhead Park SchoolBirkenhead	0.87	152
Ridgeway High SchoolPrenton	0.81	129
The Oldershaw SchoolWallasey	0.80	102