Bellerive FCJ Catholic College, Liverpool

Ofsted's report card from its 3 March 2026 inspection grades Bellerive FCJ Catholic College on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils progress securely through the curriculum and learn well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "School leaders and governors hold a clear commitment to securing excellent attendance for every pupil."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a precise understanding of the strengths of the curriculum, which is broad and ambitious."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school's ethos and vision are firmly rooted in inclusion."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors have acted determinedly to raise expectations of what all pupils and students can achieve."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have thought carefully about how best to foster a sense of belonging among pupils."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Since the previous inspection, the sixth form has been through a period of change."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should build upon their work so that pupils' misconceptions and gaps in knowledge are addressed quickly and effectively across subjects"; "Leaders should check that the adaptations and adjustments that pupils need are more consistently used across the curriculum so that pupils flourish"; "Leaders should ensure that the high expectations for what all pupils can achieve are firmly embedded across the school".

In its own words: "Bellerive FCJ has been educating girls in Liverpool for over 170 years, preparing them for the lives they will lead once they leave the school for the final time. There are four schools in England under the Trusteeship of the religious society, the Faithful Companions of Jesus fcJ."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Firmly rooted in our local community and with over 180 years of experience in Catholic education, Bellerive is built upon a proud tradition of academic excellence and strong values. I am extremely proud of our school and of our hardworking and highly motivated staff and students."

In 2026, pupils at Bellerive FCJ Catholic College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.8 in Liverpool and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 38% in Liverpool and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 47.3.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.37: pupils made 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 44.2, against 50 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Health Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 75 families put Bellerive FCJ Catholic College as their first choice and 584 named it as one of their preferences, for 180 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Bellerive FCJ Catholic College are St Hilda's Church of England High School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6); The Belvedere Academy (0.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.4); King's Leadership Academy, Liverpool (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36.3); and Archbishop Blanch CofE High School (0.8 miles).

Bellerive FCJ Catholic College's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

94 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bellerive FCJ Catholic College (as of April 2026): 84% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).

Of the 150 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 61 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 79% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 12% into work. 4% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

36.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 166 pupils (17.4%) received SEN support and 20 (2.1%) 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 St Michaels Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Aigburth Drive (adjacent), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bellerive FCJ Catholic College 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 600 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, drug offences and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Liverpool (342), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Bellerive FCJ Catholic College issued 134 suspensions, 14.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Bellerive FCJ Catholic College are St Silas Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles), Kingsley Community School (0.7 miles), St Michael-in-the-Hamlet Community Primary School (0.7 miles) and St Finbar's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.