Best Schools in Merseyside

How many schools are there in Merseyside?

Merseyside has 547 open schools: 372 state primary, 86 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 50 special and 30 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Merseyside are rated Outstanding?

66 schools in Merseyside were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Carmel College, Hugh Baird College, Abbot's Lea School, St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School, Lakeside School and 61 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 442 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Carmel CollegeHugh Baird CollegeAbbot's Lea SchoolSt Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary SchoolLakeside School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Merseyside get the best GCSE results?

Of the 97 schools in Merseyside with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Blue Coat School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.6 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Wirral Grammar School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 70.9 and 96% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and West Kirby Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 68.6 and 91% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Blue Coat SchoolWirral Grammar School for GirlsWest Kirby Grammar School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Merseyside have the best SATs results?

Of the 339 primary schools in Merseyside with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Thornton Hough Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Blacklow Brow School (97% in reading, 100% in maths); and Evelyn Community Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Thornton Hough Primary SchoolBlacklow Brow SchoolEvelyn Community Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Merseyside?

Yes. Merseyside has 7 state grammar schools, including Calday Grange Grammar School, St Anselm's College, The Blue Coat School, Upton Hall School FCJ, West Kirby Grammar School and Wirral Grammar School for Boys. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Calday Grange Grammar SchoolSt Anselm's CollegeThe Blue Coat SchoolUpton Hall School FCJWest Kirby Grammar SchoolWirral Grammar School for Boys

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Merseyside?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. St. Helens, Sefton and Knowsley published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Cowley International College, 2.466 miles for 2026 entry; Aintree Davenhill Primary School, 1.694 miles for 2024 entry; Willow Tree Primary School, 0.981 miles for 2024 entry; Bedford Primary School, 1.519 miles for 2023 entry; Birkdale Primary School, 1.029 miles for 2022 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Cowley International CollegeAintree Davenhill Primary SchoolWillow Tree Primary SchoolBedford Primary SchoolBirkdale Primary School

Source: St. Helens admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Merseyside?

Apply to your council - Liverpool, Wirral or Sefton, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.