About the school
St Anselm's College is a selective Catholic grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18, with a co-educational sixth form, located in Birkenhead on the Wirral. It is a high-performing Voluntary Aided school known for academic excellence, strong pastoral care and a focus on developing well-rounded young men within a Christian ethos.
The school was founded in 1933 by the Christian Brothers. The St Anselm's College address is Manor Hill, Prenton, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH43 1UQ. It re-entered the maintained sector in 1995, became voluntary aided in 1999, and converted to academy status in 2011, holding specialisms in technology and languages.
St Anselm's College admissions are run independently by the school, which sets its own entrance test rather than using the Wirral Admissions Test. The school uses the St Anselm's College 11 plus exam to select pupils for Year 7, and is consistently oversubscribed, which makes early, well-structured exam preparation valuable.
School type
Boys' Catholic Grammar (Co-ed Sixth Form)
Exam date
September 2026 (for September 2027 entry)
Exam board
St Anselm's own test (English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning)
Address
Manor Hill, Prenton, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH43 1UQ
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The St Anselm's College entrance test is set independently by the school. Here is everything you need to know about St Anselm's College admissions and the exam structure.
St Anselm's College sets its own entrance test and is not part of the Wirral Admissions Test consortium, so families must register and sit this exam separately. The St Anselm's College 11 plus exam covers English, mathematics and verbal reasoning. Entry is on the basis of academic ability, with faith criteria then applied.
The St Anselm's College 11 plus exam consists of written papers covering English, mathematics and verbal reasoning, each lasting around an hour, with some sources also referencing a mental maths element. Scores are age-standardised. For September 2027 entry the exam takes place in September 2026, with the exact date confirmed by the school after registration.
For St Anselm's College 11 plus registration, families must register their son directly with the school during its registration window, which typically runs over the summer term. Families must also submit their Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF), naming the school, by 31 October.
Entrance test results are shared with parents in the autumn, ahead of the 31 October application deadline, with allocations made on National Offer Day on 1 March 2027. There is no fixed pass mark; candidates are ranked by score, and the school then applies its faith-based admissions criteria, so reaching the standard does not guarantee a place.
Key admissions details
St Anselm's College has a Published Admission Number of around 140 places for Year 7. The school is regularly oversubscribed, so a strong test score combined with the St Anselm's College admissions criteria determines who is offered a place.
As a faith school, St Anselm's College does not operate a distance-based catchment area in the usual sense. Entry is based first on a qualifying test score, after which places are prioritised by faith criteria, beginning with looked-after children and then practising and baptised Catholic boys, followed by those of other Christian denominations and other faiths, with distance used only as a tie-breaker.
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St Anselm's College was founded in 1933 by the Christian Brothers. It re-entered the maintained sector in 1995 and converted to academy status in 2011, today educating boys aged 11 to 18 with a co-educational sixth form.
St Anselm's College has a Published Admission Number of around 140 places for Year 7. Demand is high and the school is regularly oversubscribed, making thorough St Anselm's College exam preparation essential.
The St Anselm's College 11 plus is the school's own entrance test, covering English, mathematics and verbal reasoning through written papers of around an hour each. Scores are age-standardised, and the test is sat in September of Year 6.
As a faith school, St Anselm's College does not operate a distance-based catchment area in the usual sense. Entry is based first on the qualifying test score, after which places are prioritised by faith criteria, with distance used only as a tie-breaker, so eligible families can apply regardless of where they live.
For St Anselm's College 11 plus registration, families must register directly with the school during its registration window, usually over the summer term. The Common Application Form, naming the school, must be submitted to your Local Authority by 31 October.
Yes. St Anselm's College offers a wide range of extracurricular activities including sport, music and spiritual and community programmes, supported by its strong Catholic ethos and pastoral care.
Yes, all our St Anselm's College 11 plus tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across the Wirral and beyond access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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