Dear parents, carers and stakeholders
The Local Governing Challenge Board of South Wirral High School, supported by The Challenge Academy Trust, is commencing a formal consultation period on the proposed closure of its Sixth Form provision.
For a number of years, the school has subsidised the funding of the Sixth Form, in the hope that as the school became increasingly popular in Years 7–11, Sixth Form numbers would also rise to a sustainable level. Unfortunately, despite the strong growth in student numbers lower down the school, Sixth Form enrolment has not followed the same trend. The financial subsidy required to maintain the provision has now reached a level that is unsustainable.
The proposal is that South Wirral High School will no longer admit students into Year 12 from September 2026. Students already on roll in the Sixth Form will be unaffected by this proposal and will continue to receive the same high standards of teaching, care and support until they complete their studies.
For students in Years 7–11, the Wirral is fortunate to have a wide range of high-quality post-16 options available. Each year, students at South Wirral High School are given the opportunity to meet and hear from local sixth form colleges and training providers. This will continue to ensure that all students are fully informed of the options open to them when they complete their remaining two years of study.
The formal consultation period provides all stakeholders the opportunity to share their views on the proposal. The consultation will close on Friday 10th October 2025 at 12pm.
Further details on the consultation, including the various reasons behind the proposal and answers to frequently asked questions, can be found here.
Stakeholders are invited to register their feedback by completing the online form https://forms.office.com/e/V6QgMx3p4P or by writing to:
Consultation on Sixth Form Closure
South Wirral High School
Plymyard Avenue
Eastham
Wirral
CH62 8EH
We welcome and look forward to hearing your views.
Yours sincerely,
Mr M Cloherty
Headteacher