Best secondary schools in Merseyside (2026)
Merseyside has 77 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is The Blue Coat School, in the top 1% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 43.7, against 46.1 for England. 7 are in England's top 10%, and 3 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 7 grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 1% in England |
The Blue Coat School Liverpool · Grammar |
79.6 | 79.5 | 98% | Good | |
2 Top 4% in England |
West Kirby Grammar School West Kirby · Grammar · Girls |
69.2 | 71.3 | 96% | Good | |
3 Top 4% in England |
Wirral Grammar School for Girls Bebington · Grammar · Girls |
68.9 | 69.3 | 92% | Outstanding | |
4 Top 4% in England |
Calday Grange Grammar School West Kirby · Grammar · Boys |
66.3 | 68.1 | 93% | No rating | |
5 Top 5% in England |
Upton Hall School FCJ Birkenhead · Grammar · Girls · Roman Catholic |
66.8 | 65.6 | 88% | Outstanding | |
6 Top 5% in England |
Wirral Grammar School for Boys Bebington · Grammar · Boys |
65.4 | 65.4 | 91% | Good | |
7 Top 10% in England |
St Anselm's College Birkenhead · Grammar · Boys · Roman Catholic |
57.0 | 57.2 | 76% | No rating | |
8 Top 13% in England |
Liverpool College Liverpool · Church of England |
55.8 | 55.1 | 66% | Outstanding | |
9 Top 16% in England |
King David High School Liverpool · Jewish |
54.0 | 54.3 | 68% | Good | |
10 Top 16% in England |
The Belvedere Academy Liverpool · Girls |
55.2 | 53.8 | 60% | Not judged | |
11 Top 19% in England |
Formby High School Formby |
53.5 | 54.3 | 66% | Good | |
12 Top 21% in England |
St Hilda's Church of England High School Liverpool · Church of England |
51.6 | 51.8 | 65% | Report card | |
13 Top 25% in England |
Birkdale High School Southport · Boys |
50.8 | 51.9 | 57% | Report card | |
14 Top 26% in England |
Greenbank High School Southport · Girls |
51.5 | 50.6 | 50% | Good | |
15 Top 26% in England |
St Margaret's Church of England Academy Liverpool · Boys · Church of England |
50.5 | 49.6 | 54% | Good | |
16 Top 27% in England |
St Edward's College Liverpool · Roman Catholic |
50.2 | 51.6 | 62% | Not judged | |
17 Top 31% in England |
Rainford High School Rainford |
49.6 | 50.6 | 56% | Report card | |
18 Top 37% in England |
Birkenhead High School Academy Birkenhead · Girls |
49.8 | 50.5 | 45% | Good | |
19 Top 42% in England |
Chesterfield High School Crosby (Sefton) |
47.3 | 48.4 | 52% | No rating | |
20 Top 46% in England |
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College Liverpool · Girls · Roman Catholic |
46.8 | 47.3 | 42% | Report card | |
21 Top 46% in England |
Range High School Formby |
46.3 | 44.2 | 39% | Good | |
22 Top 46% in England |
Rainhill High School Prescot |
47.1 | 45.9 | 40% | Good | |
23 Top 50% in England |
Holly Lodge Girls' College Liverpool · Girls |
45.7 | 47.2 | 45% | Not judged | |
24 Bottom 48% in England |
Holy Family Catholic High School Crosby (Sefton) · Roman Catholic |
45.6 | 44.8 | 44% | No rating | |
25 Bottom 45% in England |
Calderstones School Liverpool |
45.0 | 46.1 | 43% | Good | |
26 Bottom 44% in England |
Pensby High School Heswall |
44.4 | 44.8 | 43% | No rating | |
27 Bottom 41% in England |
Deyes High School Maghull |
44.3 | 42.8 | 36% | Not judged | |
28 Bottom 40% in England |
St Julie's Catholic High School Liverpool · Girls · Roman Catholic |
44.2 | 46.9 | 42% | No rating | |
29 Bottom 37% in England |
The Sutton Academy St Helens (St. Helens) |
43.1 | 43.1 | 39% | Report card | |
30 Bottom 36% in England |
North Liverpool Academy Liverpool |
43.5 | 45.6 | 38% | Report card | |
31 Bottom 34% in England |
Maricourt Catholic High School Maghull · Roman Catholic |
42.5 | 44.5 | 44% | Report card | |
32 Bottom 33% in England |
Meols Cop High School Southport |
42.9 | 44.7 | 36% | Good | |
33 Bottom 30% in England |
Archbishop Beck Catholic College Liverpool · Roman Catholic |
41.6 | 41.5 | 35% | Report card | |
34 Bottom 30% in England |
Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School Liverpool · Boys · Roman Catholic |
42.0 | 40.9 | 29% | Report card | |
35 Bottom 29% in England |
Hope Academy Newton-le-Willows · Church of England/Roman Catholic |
42.5 | 43.8 | 32% | Not judged | |
36 Bottom 27% in England |
Outwood Academy Haydock Haydock |
42.1 | 41.2 | 30% | Not judged | |
37 Bottom 27% in England |
Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre Southport · Roman Catholic |
41.3 | 41.8 | 37% | Good | |
38 Bottom 25% in England |
Sacred Heart Catholic Academy Crosby (Sefton) · Roman Catholic |
41.0 | 42.4 | 38% | Not judged | |
39 Bottom 23% in England |
Weatherhead High School Wallasey · Girls |
42.2 | 41.9 | 28% | Good | |
40 Bottom 23% in England |
Prenton High School for Girls Birkenhead · Girls |
40.8 | 38.9 | 33% | No rating | |
41 Bottom 22% in England |
West Derby School Liverpool · Boys |
40.5 | 42.0 | 42% | Good | |
42 Bottom 22% in England |
All Saints Catholic High School Kirkby · Roman Catholic |
41.2 | 40.6 | 34% | Good | |
43 Bottom 21% in England |
St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy St Helens (St. Helens) · Roman Catholic |
41.1 | 42.6 | 28% | Not judged | |
44 Bottom 20% in England |
The Studio School Liverpool Liverpool |
40.0 | 39.4 | 38% | No rating | |
45 Bottom 19% in England |
Broughton Hall Catholic High School Liverpool · Girls · Roman Catholic |
40.6 | 39.2 | 24% | Good | |
46 Bottom 19% in England |
Stanley High School Southport |
40.5 | 40.6 | 31% | Not judged | |
47 Bottom 19% in England |
Cowley International College St Helens (St. Helens) |
40.3 | 39.3 | 30% | Report card | |
48 Bottom 18% in England |
Maghull High School Maghull |
39.7 | 39.6 | 30% | Report card | |
49 Bottom 17% in England |
St John Bosco Arts College Liverpool · Girls · Roman Catholic |
40.6 | 39.4 | 20% | Report card | |
50 Bottom 17% in England |
Halewood Academy Liverpool |
39.7 | 41.6 | 38% | Report card | |
51 Bottom 17% in England |
Litherland High School Litherland |
39.8 | 41.7 | 37% | Good | |
52 Bottom 14% in England |
Hillside High School Bootle (Sefton) |
38.4 | 39.8 | 35% | Good | |
53 Bottom 13% in England |
St John Plessington Catholic College Bebington · Roman Catholic |
38.3 | 37.2 | 28% | Good | |
54 Bottom 13% in England |
Woodchurch High School Birkenhead · Church of England |
38.4 | 37.9 | 28% | Not judged | |
55 Bottom 12% in England |
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy Liverpool · Boys · Roman Catholic |
36.7 | 36.7 | 32% | Requires improvement | |
56 Bottom 12% in England |
Hilbre High School West Kirby |
37.9 | 39.0 | 24% | Report card | |
57 Bottom 11% in England |
Lord Derby Academy Huyton with Roby |
37.8 | 39.9 | 28% | Good | |
58 Bottom 10% in England |
Ridgeway High School Birkenhead |
37.7 | 39.2 | 25% | Good | |
59 Bottom 9% in England |
Co-op Academy Bebington Bebington |
36.6 | 37.3 | 29% | Good | |
60 Bottom 6% in England |
Dixons Broadgreen Academy Liverpool |
35.0 | 34.4 | 21% | Not judged | |
61 Bottom 6% in England |
Childwall Sports & Science Academy Liverpool |
35.3 | 36.2 | 27% | Good | |
62 Bottom 5% in England |
Birkenhead Park School Birkenhead |
35.4 | 39.9 | 30% | Requires improvement | |
63 Bottom 4% in England |
King's Leadership Academy, Liverpool Liverpool |
33.4 | 34.5 | 22% | No rating | |
64 Bottom 4% in England |
The Prescot School Prescot |
33.7 | 35.5 | 23% | Requires improvement | |
65 Bottom 3% in England |
The Academy of St Francis of Assisi Liverpool · Church of England/Roman Catholic |
33.5 | 35.8 | 23% | Requires improvement | |
66 Bottom 3% in England |
The Mosslands School Wallasey · Boys |
34.1 | 35.2 | 20% | Requires improvement | |
67 Bottom 2% in England |
Dixons Fazakerley Academy Liverpool |
32.4 | 33.4 | 20% | Requires improvement | |
68 Bottom 2% in England |
King's Leadership Academy Hawthornes Bootle (Sefton) |
32.3 | 32.2 | 17% | Good | |
69 Bottom 2% in England |
Notre Dame Catholic Academy Liverpool · Roman Catholic |
31.0 | 31.0 | 22% | Requires improvement | |
70 Bottom 2% in England |
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy Prescot · Roman Catholic |
31.9 | 30.2 | 11% | Requires improvement | |
71 Bottom 2% in England |
Kirkby High School Kirkby |
30.9 | 31.4 | 20% | Good | |
72 Bottom 2% in England |
The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco Bootle (Sefton) · Roman Catholic |
31.7 | 32.2 | 19% | Report card | |
73 Bottom 2% in England |
St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Wallasey · Roman Catholic |
31.8 | 33.2 | 17% | Report card | |
74 Bottom 1% in England |
The Academy of St Nicholas Liverpool · Roman Catholic/Church of England |
29.3 | 29.4 | 20% | Good | |
75 Bottom 1% in England |
Dixons Croxteth Academy Liverpool |
29.8 | 31.6 | 16% | Report card | |
76 Bottom 1% in England |
Alsop High School Liverpool |
28.8 | 28.2 | 12% | Report card | |
77 Bottom 1% in England |
Co-op Academy Oldershaw Wallasey |
28.2 | 28.0 | 12% | Not judged |
Best secondary school in each town
- Liverpool · best: The Blue Coat School
- West Kirby · best: West Kirby Grammar School
- Bebington · best: Wirral Grammar School for Girls
- Birkenhead · best: Upton Hall School FCJ
- Southport · best: Birkdale High School
- Crosby (Sefton) · best: Chesterfield High School
- Prescot · best: Rainhill High School
- Maghull · best: Deyes High School
- St Helens (St. Helens) · best: The Sutton Academy
- Wallasey · best: Weatherhead High School
- Bootle (Sefton) · best: Hillside High School
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in Merseyside?
On exam results over the last three years, The Blue Coat School is the top-ranked secondary school in Merseyside, in the top 1% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.