St Anselm's College 11+

How to get into St Anselm's College

St Anselm's College is a selective secondary school in Wirral. To get into St Anselm's College children need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Here is the step-by-step guide to getting your child into St Anselm's College with all the important information you need to know.

School Overview

St Anselm's College is a Roman Catholic grammar school located in Birkenhead, Wirral, that provides education for young men. The school is a boys-only academy with approximately 995 pupils. Ofsted rated the school 'good' in 2019, highlighting that "pupils feel valued and are aspirational" ^[1].

The school sets its own internal 11+ test rather than using external companies like GL Assessment or CEM. St Anselm's College is not a member of the Wirral grammar schools' consortium, meaning families must register separately for this school.

Admission Requirements

Children seeking Year 7 entry in September 2025 must pass the St Anselm's College 11+ examination. The school offers 140 places annually for Year 7, though competition is high with over eight applications for every place.

St Anselm's College operates within a catchment area defined as Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester, and any other area within 10 miles of the school. The school welcomes applications from boys of all faiths or none, though priority is given to baptised Catholic boys living in the relevant area.

• Age eligibility: Boys entering Year 7 in September 2025
• Examination requirement: Pass the St Anselm's College 11+
• Catchment area:Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester, and areas within 10 miles of the school
• Religious requirements:None required, though Catholic boys receive priority

Application Process

Families must complete two separate applications for their child to be considered. Both forms are essential and missing either will result in the child not being considered for a place.

The first step involves completing the school's registration form directly with St Anselm's College, usually by the end of August 2025 (see key dates). This registers the child for the entrance examination.

• Complete the St Anselm's College Registration Form through the school website
• Submit by end of August 2025 (see key dates)
• Include baptismal certificate copyif applicable
• Allow up to 4 weeks for local authority processing before exam invitation

The second requirement is completing the Common Application Form (CAF) through the local authority, listing St Anselm's College as a preference, with a deadline of 31st October 2025 (see key dates).

• Complete the Common Application Form (CAF) through local authority
• List St Anselm's College as a preference
• Submit by 31st October 2025 (see key dates)

Examination Details

The examination takes place on Friday 19th September 2025 (see key dates). For Year 7 entry, children complete three papers: English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning, with each exam lasting one hour.

The written papers are created and marked by staff at St Anselm's College, with no verbal or non-verbal reasoning questions and no multiple choice format. The assessment identifies boys with strong potential in reading, writing and numeracy.

• Exam date:Friday 19th September 2025 (see key dates)
• Format: Three one-hour written papers
• Subjects: English, Mathematics, and Verbal Reasoning
• Start time:9:00am (arrive by 8:45am)
• Break provision: 15-minute break included

Families will be informed of test results in mid-October. There is no fixed pass mark, with test scores ranked and places offered based on performance alongside admissions criteria.

Preparation Guidance

Ideally, preparation should begin by Year 5 to allow steady, low-pressure learning. Since the exam is set by the school, the best preparation focuses on written English and Key Stage 2-level mathematics.

English and Mathematics sample papers are available on the college website for Year 7 applicants, while Verbal Reasoning papers can be purchased through any stationery shop. For comprehensive preparation resources, families should visit practice papers section.

• Start early: Begin preparation in Year 5 for optimal results
• English focus: Comprehension, spelling, grammar, and story writing
• Reading development: Encourage wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts
• Mathematics foundation: Cover Year 5 and 6 curriculum with focus on fluency and problem-solving
• Written practice: Use paper-based resources since the test isn't multiple choice
• Timing skills: Build stamina with timed papers and writing tasks

For personalised tutoring support, families can explore options through our tutoring recommendations.

Practical Advice

Children should bring a pen, pencil, rubber, ruler, snack and drink for the mid-morning break. There is no requirement to wear school uniform during the exam, with smart/casual wear being acceptable.

Families with children who have medical conditions or allergies should email Mrs Cook at acook@st-anselms.com and ensure necessary medication or equipment is brought. For special examination arrangements, families should tick the relevant box on the application form and upload supporting documents for review by the Headteacher and SENCO.

• Exam day essentials: Pen, pencil, rubber, ruler, snack and drink
• Dress code: Smart/casual wear (no uniform required)
• Medical needs: Contact school in advance and bring necessary medication/equipment
• Special arrangements: Submit supporting documentation with application
• Absence protocol: Contact school on 0151 652 1408 with doctor's note if unable to attend

Results will be communicated within 5-7 days of sitting the entrance exam, with the Deputy Headmaster making initial contact by telephone. If successful but no immediate place is available, names go on a waiting list for up to 12 months.

Families should consider backup school options within Wirral's grammar school system. For specific contact information and additional guidance, please refer to our school information section.

^[1]St Anselm's College official website

St Anselm's College 11+ Information

In order to get into St Anselm's College, children need to pass the St Anselm's College 11+. This 11+ test is written internally for exclusive use by the school (rather than by an external company like GL Assessment, CSSE or CEM).

St Anselm's College 11+ Subjects & Structure

The St Anselm's College 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Maths
• Verbal Reasoning

The entrance examination for St Anselm's College is a comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate the academic potential of prospective students. The exam consists of three distinct papers, each lasting one hour and covering essential subjects: English, Maths, and Verbal Reasoning. These papers are specifically created by the school to gauge the students' abilities and aptitude.

The English paper is divided into two sections: reading and writing. The reading section assesses the child's comprehension skills through a series of questions based on a given text, while the writing section challenges their creative writing abilities with a choice of prompts. The Maths paper covers key topics from the Key Stage 2 maths national curriculum, including number, measurement, geometry, and statistics. The questions in this paper are presented in various formats, requiring the child to demonstrate their mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills.

The Verbal Reasoning paper is designed to test the child's capacity to solve problems using written information, such as letters, symbols, words, and numbers. This paper evaluates essential skills like reading fluency, vocabulary, logic, and attention to detail. Although verbal reasoning is not part of the national curriculum, it is included in the 11 plus exam to assess the child's potential rather than their acquired knowledge.

St Anselm's College 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as St Anselm's College is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

St Anselm's College 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the St Anselm's College 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at St Anselm's College, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Key Dates for the St Anselm's College 11+ Entrance Tests

Here are all the important dates for the 11+ tests (to get into St Anselm's College) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with St Anselm's College as they may well change.

11+ Tutor for St Anselm's College

As the St Anselm's College 11+ entrance process is particularly gruelling, we would highly recommend using an 11+ private tutor.

Why use a private 11+ tutor?

Personal tutors have the experience and expertise to help children pass their 11+ exams. They know the requirements of the Internal 11+ tests inside-out and can provide tailored support to give children the best possible chance of success. It's also important to bear in mind that plenty of other children will be using private tutors too.

11+ tutors don't need to be face-to-face, plenty of children use online 11+ tutors.

11+ tutors can also provide regular progress reports and feedback, helping parents to monitor their child's progress and make any necessary adjustments to their preparation.

Most importantly, using an 11+ tutor helps ensure that the preparation work gets done!

Private 11+ Tutors for the St Anselm's College 11+ Tests

We have a range of private tutors who specialise in preparing children for the St Anselm's College 11+ entrance tests. Please click here to be put in touch with a range of excellent 11+ private tutors from our friends at exams.courses.

11+ Past Papers for St Anselm's College

Here are all available past 11+ papers for St Anselm's College. Please note that this may include 11+ past papers, past familiarisation booklets, past practice materials published by third parties and past 11+ exam guides written by the school. These materials are provided 'as-is' and may no longer reflect the subjects, format, structure or exam board that St Anselm's College currently uses.

The exam board (or test supplier) that St Anselm's College chooses to use for their 11+ entrance tests can change and we encourage you to check directly with the school.

As well as these past 11+ papers, you may find our extensive collection of 11+ practice papers helpful for your child's preparation.

11+ Practice Papers for St Anselm's College

Unfortunately, there are no targeted 11+ practice papers for St Anselm's College available. However, you can use 11+ practice papers from other exam boards (such as GL Assessment, CEM and CSSE) to help your child prepare.

School Information

Below you will find further information about St Anselm's College together with their admissions contact details.

St Anselm's College is a boys only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 995 pupils attend St Anselm's College and it's led by the Headteacher, Simon Duggan.

St Anselm's College Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

Ofsted Information

St Anselm's College was last inspected by Ofsted on 03/07/2019 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 23/07/2019, declaring that the school was 'Good'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at St Anselm's College for the 2022-23 academic year.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for St Anselm's College per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)