School profile

Ridgeway High School

Secondary · Foundation school · Prenton, CH43 9EB

Good

Map showing Ridgeway High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,923 of 3,312

Worse than 88% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Ridgeway High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 30 Jan 2024

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFoundation school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils858 of 918 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Gavin Sterry
Local authorityWirral
Opened01 Jan 1900
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 105097.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolWirralEngland
Attainment 8 score37.745.646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths50.9%63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths21%44.6%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths1.8%14.6%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths46.1%59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4167--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils858
Girls374
Boys484
Eligible for free school meals60.5%
First language not English5.9%
SEN support193
EHC plan76
Average class size21.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
89.3%
Bangladeshi
1.6%
Other White
1.5%
Other Asian
1.2%
African
1.2%
Other mixed
1%
Other ethnic group
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
White and Black African
0.6%
White and Asian
0.6%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolWirralEngland
Overall absence12.4%8.7%8%
Persistent absence39.7%23.5%21.6%
Severe absence5.4%3.7%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)129
Applications (Year 7)271
First preference applications (Year 7)104
First preference offers (Year 7)104
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places918
Pupils on roll887
Unfilled places3.4%

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher11.1
Pupils per adult7.8
Teachers (FTE)77.4
Teaching assistants (FTE)16.28
Support staff (FTE)53.04
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2574.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2569.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate27.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions13.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination81.9%
Staying in education77.2%
Further education55%
Sixth form college19.3%
Not sustained12.3%
Apprenticeship2.9%
School sixth form2.3%
Employment1.8%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Ridgeway High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimarySt Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miSecondaryWoodchurch High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryCo-op Academy HillsideAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryFender Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.4 miNurseryGanneys Meadow Nursery School and Family CentreLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryTownfield Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.8 miNot applicableBirkenhead SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.8 miPrimaryWoodchurch CofE Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Inadequate
1.0 miPrimaryManor Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Ridgeway High School

What is Ridgeway High School's Ofsted rating?

Ridgeway High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 30 Jan 2024.

How does Ridgeway High School rank in England?

Ridgeway High School ranks 2,923 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 88% of schools).

How many pupils attend Ridgeway High School?

Ridgeway High School has 858 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 918.

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.