Welcome to Birkenhead School

Sunday Times Schools Guide 2025 - Independent Secondary School of the Year North West

Welcome

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Birkenhead School, one of the UK’s top independent schools and Wirral’s only selective, co-educational school.

As an HMC school that welcomes children from Nursery to Sixth Form, we are aware of the considerable privilege in shaping the educational journey of your son or daughter through their formative school years. At every stage, our focus is to know the individual, to develop their core values and to provide a breadth of academic and wider opportunities so that we can nurture resilient, ambitious and responsible young men and women.

Rightly or wrongly, a school will often be judged by its academic results. At Birkenhead School, we take a rigorous approach to academic study, achieving the highest grades, yet firmly believe that the path students take and the challenges they overcome are of equal importance. We strive to create a learning environment where teachers have the freedom to teach and where students learn because they are inspired and curious, not merely to achieve good grades. We aim to engender a mind-set to learn throughout life.

With society placing ever increasing pressure on today’s students, we educate in the broadest sense. The best learners and contributors to wider society are those students who are happiest. We continue to place great importance on traditional values such as honesty, integrity and a strong moral compass that leads to a healthy, cohesive and supportive community.

As Headmaster, I take great pride in each student feeling known and valued. We deliver a co-curricular programme whose scope and quality allows each individual to find their niche whether it lies in academia, sport, music, drama, service or leadership – to name but a few. For staff to be able to further our students’ passions, while working within such an inspirational and beautiful school site, is one of the great privileges of teaching at Birkenhead School, and of an independent education.

I look forward to welcoming you in person.

Paul Vicars
Headmaster

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