Schools across Sefton

How many schools are there in Sefton?

Sefton has 116 open schools: 74 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 15 special and 6 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Sefton are rated Outstanding?

8 schools in Sefton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Hugh Baird College; St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School; St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Lydiate; Freshfield Primary School; Rimrose Hope CofE Primary School; and 3 more. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 87 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.

Hugh Baird CollegeSt Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary SchoolSt Thomas Church of England Primary School, LydiateFreshfield Primary SchoolRimrose Hope CofE Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Sefton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 22 schools in Sefton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Birkdale High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.7 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Formby High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.5 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Range High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.2 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Birkdale High SchoolFormby High SchoolRange High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Sefton have the best SATs results?

Of the 69 primary schools in Sefton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths); Summerhill Primary School (93% in reading, 97% in maths); and St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Lydiate (93% in reading, 93% 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.

St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary SchoolSummerhill Primary SchoolSt Thomas Church of England Primary School, Lydiate

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Sefton?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Sefton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

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

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Sefton published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Aintree Davenhill Primary School, 1.694 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.

Aintree Davenhill Primary SchoolBedford Primary SchoolBirkdale Primary School

Source: Sefton admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Sefton?

Apply to Sefton 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.