Secondary education information for parents - Types of school

In terms of governing schools there are five types of school - academy, community, foundation, trust and voluntary aided. There are various differences between the different categories of school, but for admissions, the differences relate to the responsibilities of the governing bodies of the schools.

There are 26 secondary schools in Wirral. This includes five special schools and an all-age hospital school.

Community schools are non-denominational. In other words, they are not linked to any particular faith. The governors have responsibility for the overall conduct of the school but admissions are the responsibility of the local authority.

Foundation and Trust schools are schools, usually non-denominational, where the governors are responsible for the admission arrangements.

Academies are publicly funded independent schools. The academy trust is responsible for admissions.

The governors of voluntary-aided schools are responsible for their own admission arrangements. You can get more information about Catholic voluntary aided schools from:

Director of Education, Shrewsbury Diocese
Phone: 0151 652 9855
Email: info@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
Website: www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org

The local authority co-ordinates preferences on behalf of all schools.