Activate, Kirby
Activate is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Kirby.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Activate in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Activate are Bluebell Park School (0.1 miles, Good); Hazel Cottage School (1.5 miles); Bank View High School (2.2 miles, Outstanding); and Redbridge High School (2.2 miles, Outstanding).
Bluebell Park SchoolHazel Cottage SchoolBank View High SchoolRedbridge High School
Who goes there
Activate is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kirkby Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cawthorne Ave (s-bound), 200 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
No inspection data available
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Activate
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Activate, with their latest published grades:
- Kids In Bloom @ Southdene Childrens Centre Ltd - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 10 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Explorers Kirkby - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted, 2 April 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Bloom @ Kirkby Town centre - Day nursery, 0.6 miles
- Tigers Tots Nursery - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 12 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Kids Planet Kirkby - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 28 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Activate from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Activate is in Knowsley; for families living there:
Apply to Knowsley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Across Knowsley council
Places available
1,290
Applications
1,828
Got 1st preference
78.1%
Got preferred school
93.5%
All secondary applications across Knowsley council (2026/27), not just this school.
Special educational needs provision
Activate is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Activate
Does Activate have specialist SEN provision?
Activate is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How many road collisions happen near Activate?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Activate?
Activate is at The Bracknell Centre, Kirby, Merseyside, L32 9PW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)