Wade Deacon High School is a secondary school in Widnes, serving pupils aged 11 to 16. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Wade Deacon High School currently has around 1618 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 48.7% boys and 51.3% girls. Around 26.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 6.9%. Persistent absence is recorded at 17.8%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (86%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 97% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (85%) , including 2% who stay in school sixth forms and 72% progressing to further education , while 9% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Birchfield Road, Widnes, WA8 7TD |
| Website: | www.wadedeacon.co.uk |
| Telephone: | 01514232721 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Halton |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr Brendan Hesketh |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 139368 |
Ofsted inspection date: 29/11/2022
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 16 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1625 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1618 |
| Number of Boys: | 788 |
| Number of Girls: | 830 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 6.9% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 17.8% | 8.2% |
| White British | 86.00% | 1392 |
| Other White | 4.60% | 75 |
| Unclassified | 3.70% | 60 |
| Other Mixed | 2.00% | 32 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.70% | 12 |
| White and Asian | 0.70% | 11 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.50% | 8 |
| Chinese | 0.40% | 6 |
| Indian | 0.40% | 6 |
| White and Black African | 0.30% | 5 |
| Irish | 0.20% | 4 |
| Other Asian | 0.20% | 4 |
| African | 0.10% | 2 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.10% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birchfield Nursery School Victoria Avenue , WA8 7TH | 3out of 4 | 290 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Ditton Nursery School Dundalk Road , WA8 8DF | 3out of 4 | 1,501 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School Naylor Road , Warrington Road Childrens Centre WA8 0BS | - not rated | 1,666 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Bede's Catholic Junior School Appleton Village , WA8 6EL | 3out of 4 | 565 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Bede's Catholic Infant School Leigh Avenue , WA8 6EL | 4out of 4 | 609 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Fairfield Primary School Peelhouse Lane , WA8 6TH | 3out of 4 | 662 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Fairfield Infant School Peelhouse Lane , WA8 6TH | - not rated | 800 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Kingsway Primary Academy School Kingsway , WA8 7QS | 3out of 4 | 1,120 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wade Deacon High School Birchfield Road , WA8 7TD | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Wade Deacon High School Birchfield Road , WA8 7TD | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Joseph's RC High School Highfield Road , WA8 7DW | - not rated | 459 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School Highfield Road , WA8 7DW | 3out of 4 | 459 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Fairfield High School Peelhouse Lane , WA8 6TE | - not rated | 955 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside College Halton Kingsway , WA8 7QQ | - not rated | 1,363 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College Cronton Lane , WA8 5WA | - not rated | 1,892 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesnut Lodge Special School Green Lane , Ditton WA8 7HF | 3out of 4 | 1,370 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ashley High School Cawfield Avenue , WA8 7HG | 4out of 4 | 1,470 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Poppy Field School 18 Lugsdale Road , WA8 6DH | - not rated | 1,666 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Raise Academy Naylor Road , WA8 0BS | - not rated | 1,780 yd | Free schools special | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Brookfields School Moorfield Road , WA8 3JA | - not rated | 1,831 yd | Academy special converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.