Alsop High School, Liverpool

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades Alsop High School on 7 areas: 2 needs attention and 5 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Since the last inspection, the school has experienced a significant period of turbulence in leadership and staffing."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Despite leaders' understanding of pupils' backgrounds and needs, the implementation of the school's personal development programme hinders pupils' readiness for life in modern society."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils at this school have consistently attained well below the national averages in examinations at the end of key stage 4 over the last 3 years."

Attendance and behaviour - Urgent improvement. "Pupils experience discriminatory language, including racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments."

Curriculum and teaching - Urgent improvement. "The curriculum is not taught effectively enough."

Inclusion - Urgent improvement. "Staff lack the knowledge and skills needed to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Post 16 provision - Urgent improvement. "Students in the sixth form have underachieved considerably in both academic and vocational qualifications over several years."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must ensure that teaching is of a suitable quality so that pupils and students learn and achieve more. In addition, leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' knowledge and understanding systematically and adapt their teaching to address any deficits, including in pupils' knowledge of reading, writing or number"; "Leaders must ensure that staff are suitably equipped to adapt their delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders should also sharpen systems for monitoring the impact of these adaptations on pupils' learning"; "Leaders must urgently tackle the proliferation of discriminatory and prejudicial language used by pupils. Allied to this, leaders should strengthen the school's personal development programme to ensure that pupils develop a stronger understanding of matters relating to equalities"; "Leaders should continue their efforts to improve pupils' attendance, especially for those who are disadvantaged or have SEND".

In its own words: "Our school is at the heart of our community, as the largest high school in our vibrant City of Liverpool we have been serving the families of Walton for over 100 years and are steeped in history. We are "Team Alsop" with a strong sense of community. Since our founding in 1919 and named after James W."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Alsop High school. I am proud to be the Executive Principal of our wonderful, warm school that is part of Omega Multi-Academy Trust. We are one of the largest schools in Liverpool, with an amazing history, having provided education to children of the Walton area since our foundation in 1926."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include STEM and debating.

In 2026, pupils at Alsop High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.8 in Liverpool and 47 across England.

18% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 38% in Liverpool and 47% in England.

That is up from 28.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.72: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.6, against 36 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 113 families put Alsop High School as their first choice and 322 named it as one of their preferences, for 263 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Alsop High School are Alsop High School (under 0.1 miles); Hillside High School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.1); Archbishop Beck Catholic College (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9); and King's Leadership Academy Hawthornes (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.7).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Alsop High School.

Alsop High School is one of 7 schools run by Omega Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

47 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Alsop High School (as of April 2026): 40% would recommend the school, 49% say their child is happy there and 26% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (49%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (26%).

Of the 251 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 76% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 73 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 44% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

56.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 25.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (62%) and Black (10%).

In 2026, 331 pupils (24.8%) received SEN support and 58 (4.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Walton (Merseyside) Rail Station, about 1060 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is County Road (adjacent), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Alsop High School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 528 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Liverpool (342), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Alsop High School issued 1198 suspensions, 83.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Alsop High School are Northcote Primary School (0.3 miles), Arnot St Mary CofE Primary School (0.4 miles), St Francis de Sales Catholic Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles) and St Francis de Sales Catholic Junior School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.