School profile

Wade Deacon High School

Secondary · Academy converter · Widnes, WA8 7TD

Outstanding

Map showing Wade Deacon High School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,088 of 3,312

Better than 67% of schools in England

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

Wade Deacon High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 29 Nov 2022

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,658
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Brendan Hesketh
TrustWADE DEACON TRUST
Local authorityHalton
Opened01 Mar 2013
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139368.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolHaltonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.49.2, better than England, better than Halton39.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.73.3%, better than England, better than Halton54.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.53.8%, better than England, better than Halton35.3%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.14.2%, similar to England, better than Halton7.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths67.3%, better than England, better than Halton48.9%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4318--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,658
Girls848
Boys810
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.25.7%
First language not English5.2%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,625
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.171
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.47
Average class size24.2

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

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
84.4%
Other White
4.4%
Other mixed
2.4%
Other ethnic group
1.3%
White and Asian
0.6%
White and Black Caribbean
0.5%
African
0.5%
Chinese
0.5%
Other Asian
0.4%
White and Black African
0.3%

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

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher19.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.6
Teachers (FTE)86.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)33.25
Support staff (FTE)72.66
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2592.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2580.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 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)Places offered on national offer day.343
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.735
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.393
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.341
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)66

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

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolHaltonEngland
Overall absence6.4%, better than England, better than Halton9.7%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.16.7%, better than England, better than Halton26.6%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.8%, better than England, better than Halton4.8%3.6%

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

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate9.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions4

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 destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.87.7%
Further education82.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.8%
Sixth form college3.2%
Apprenticeship3.2%
School sixth form1.9%
Employment1.9%

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 Wade Deacon High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miNurseryBirchfield Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.3 miSecondarySaints Peter and Paul Catholic High SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Bede's Catholic Junior SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Bede's Catholic Infant SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryFairfield Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryKingsway Primary Academy SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.7 miPrimaryFarnworth Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryDitton Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryLunts Heath Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.9 miNurseryAspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Ditton Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Wade Deacon High School

What is Wade Deacon High School's Ofsted rating?

Wade Deacon High School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 29 Nov 2022.

How does Wade Deacon High School rank in England?

Wade Deacon High School ranks 1,088 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 67% of schools).

What are Wade Deacon High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 53.8% of pupils at Wade Deacon High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 49.2 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Wade Deacon High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Wade Deacon High School made 343 offers from 735 applications (2.1 per offer), and 341 of 393 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Wade Deacon High School?

Wade Deacon High School has 1,658 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Wade Deacon High School?

Wade Deacon High School had 1,625 school places in 2024/25.

Does Wade Deacon High School have a sixth form?

No, Wade Deacon High School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Wade Deacon High School?

At Wade Deacon High School, the average class had 24.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 19.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Wade Deacon High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Wade Deacon High School missed 6.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 16.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

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.