Know exactly where your child stands for Calday Grange Grammar School
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Calday Grange Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Calday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School is a selective boys' grammar school in West Kirby, Wirral. For 11+ entry, it uses the Quest Admissions exam board and does not include an interview stage. While there is no formal catchment area, proximity to the school is considered in its oversubscription policy.
If your child has set their heart on a grammar place on the Wirral, Calday Grange is one of the names families talk about most. It is a selective boys' school in West Kirby, on a long-established site near the Dee Estuary coast, and it has been teaching local children since 1636, which makes it the oldest surviving grammar school on the peninsula. Boys join at 11, and since 1985 girls have come into the sixth form, so the older years are mixed. Around 1,480 pupils attend in all, drawn from primary schools across the Wirral and, increasingly, from further afield.
The school sets its tone around three plain words, ambition, respect and pride, and the day-to-day feel is steady and traditional, the kind of grounded character you would expect of a place with almost four centuries behind it. The curriculum is broad, with A levels and the Extended Project in the sixth form and real strength spread across sciences, languages and the arts. Parents tend to choose it for that mix of academic seriousness and a settled, local feel, rather than for anything flashy. It is the sort of school where a capable child can get on quietly and be stretched.
Calday Grange suits a motivated child who will do well in a structured, traditional setting and families wanting a strong sixth form that opens its doors to girls as well as boys. It is a school that knows what it is and does it well.
Key facts
Admissions
Sibling policy
Yes
What this school tests
Wirral Consortium 11+ Assessment
Maths21 question types
Non-verbal Reasoning12 question types
Verbal Reasoning23 question types
Spatial Reasoning14 question types
Catchment area
No, Calday Grange Grammar School doesn’t have a catchment area. However, as part of its oversubscription policy, children with the shortest walking distance from the school, as measured by the Local Authority computer mapping system, will be prioritised.
Previous exam results
GCSE results
In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 68.1 across their GCSEs. 92.6% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 52.3% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
A-level results
In 2025 students achieved a B- average grade per A-Level entry. 24.8% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
Frequently asked questions
What exam board does Calday Grange Grammar School use for the 11+?
Calday Grange Grammar School uses the Quest Admissions exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.
Does Calday Grange Grammar School interview as part of the 11+?
No, Calday Grange Grammar School does not include an interview stage as part of its 11+ admissions process.
Is Calday Grange Grammar School co-educational or single-sex for 11+ entry?
Calday Grange Grammar School is a single-sex boys' school for 11+ entry into Year 7. Girls join the school in the Sixth Form.
Does Calday Grange Grammar School have a catchment area for 11+ entry?
Calday Grange Grammar School does not have a formal catchment area. However, proximity to the school is a factor in its oversubscription policy.
What is Calday Grange Grammar School's website?
The official website for Calday Grange Grammar School is https://calday.co.uk/.
How do you get a place at Calday Grange Grammar School?
First, a child needs to reach the required standard in the Wirral 11+ assessment, taken at a test venue and now run by Quest Assessments. Reaching the standard does not guarantee a place. If the school is oversubscribed, places go in order: looked-after and previously looked-after children; then a number of places held for children eligible for free school meals; then siblings of current pupils; then children living closest. There is no formal catchment area, so distance decides remaining places.
What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Calday Grange Grammar School?
If your child is unwell on assessment day, do not bring them. Email the council at secondaryplaces@wirral.gov.uk with your child's name and date of birth, and they will be invited to another session. The assessment can only be taken once, so there is no re-sit after they have sat it. Special access arrangements, such as 25% extra time, enlarged print or short breaks, can be requested on the registration form if your child has additional needs that are already supported at primary school.
Location
Your child’s 11+ journey starts with a single diagnostic
4 subjects. 56 expert-authored questions. A complete picture of where they are, and a personalised plan to get them exam-ready.
Start the free diagnostic