Best Secondary Schools in Liverpool 2026

Ranked by Ofsted rating, exam results, attendance, and class sizes. 31 schools across Liverpool. Updated with 2025–26 data.

Liverpool has 31 open secondary schools. Of the 30 with a published Ofsted inspection, 2 (7%) held a historic grade of Outstanding and 70% held Good or Outstanding — these are the last single-word grades from before Ofsted retired them on 10 November 2025 (how we treat Ofsted data). On our composite Schools Near Me score, The Blue Coat School currently leads the local rankings. Closed schools are excluded from every list on this page.

Use the ranked table below to compare schools side by side, then open any school for the full picture. Application deadlines in Liverpool follow the national calendar: 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively.

31
Total schools
2
Outstanding (historic grade)
7%
of inspected schools (pre-Nov-2025)
58%
Avg KS2 SATs
35.4
Avg GCSE A8
All schools Primary Secondary
Rank School Ofsted (historic) SNM Score
🥇 The Blue Coat School
Secondary
 Good 90 View school
🥈 The Belvedere Academy
Secondary
 Outstanding 77 View school
🥉 King David High School
Secondary
 Good 70 View school
4. St Hilda's Church of England High School
Secondary
 Good 67 View school
5. St Margaret's Church of England Academy
Secondary
 Good 65 View school
6. Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
Secondary
 Good 62 View school
7. St Julie's Catholic High School
Secondary
 Good 61 View school
8. Liverpool Life Sciences UTC
Secondary
 Good 60 View school
9. Calderstones School
Secondary
 Good 60 View school
10. Gateacre School
Secondary
 Requires Improvement 60 View school
11. North Liverpool Academy
Secondary
 Good 60 View school
12. West Derby School
Secondary
 Good 55 View school
13. Archbishop Beck Catholic College
Secondary
 Good 54 View school
14. Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School
Secondary
 Good 53 View school
15. St Edward's College
Secondary
 Requires Improvement 52 View school
16. St John Bosco Arts College
Secondary
 Good 52 View school
17. The Studio School Liverpool
Secondary
 Good 52 View school
18. Broughton Hall Catholic High School
Secondary
 Good 52 View school
19. King's Leadership Academy Wavertree
Secondary
 — 50 View school
20. Archbishop Blanch CofE High School
Secondary
 Outstanding 50 View school

Ranked by the Schools Near Me score. Ofsted grades shown are each school's last single-word grade from before 10 November 2025, when Ofsted retired single-word overall judgements — they are historic and not comparable to the new report cards. How we use Ofsted data. Closed schools are excluded.

Related lists for Liverpool

Best primary schools in LiverpoolTop-ranked Reception–Year 6 Best secondary schools in LiverpoolTop-ranked Year 7 onwards All schools in LiverpoolPrimary & secondary combined Primary schools in LiverpoolReception–Year 6 only How the Schools Near Me score worksOur ranking methodology, explained

Nearby areas

Schools in KnowsleyCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in WirralCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in SeftonCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in St. HelensCompare neighbouring authority

See full data for any school in Liverpool

Catchment distances, exam trends, SEN data, attendance, and more — all in one place.

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Frequently asked questions

How many secondary schools are there in Liverpool?
There are 31 open secondary schools in Liverpool (closed schools are excluded). 2 of the 30 with a published inspection held a historic Ofsted grade of Outstanding (the last single-word grade before single-word grades were retired on 10 November 2025).
What are the best-rated secondary schools in Liverpool?
On our Schools Near Me score, the top-ranked secondary school in Liverpool is The Blue Coat School. The full ranked table above lists the top 20 schools with their score and last historic Ofsted grade. We never list closed schools.
How is the Schools Near Me score calculated?
The Schools Near Me score is a 0–100 composite combining the school's last historic Ofsted grade, published exam and assessment results, attendance and pupil–teacher ratio. It is not an Ofsted rating. Full methodology: https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#score
Are Ofsted single-word grades still current in Liverpool?
No. Ofsted retired single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) on 10 November 2025 and replaced them with report cards. Any single-word grade shown on this page is the school's last historic grade from before that date and is not comparable to the new report cards. See https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#ofsted
How do I apply for a school place in Liverpool?
Primary and secondary applications in Liverpool are coordinated by the local authority on the national timetable: apply by 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and by 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively. Check the Liverpool council website for local forms and any in-year rules.

Data sourced from Ofsted, Department for Education, and ISI. School rankings reflect the Schools Near Me composite score combining Ofsted ratings, exam results, attendance, and pupil-teacher ratios. Last updated April 2026.