Clifford Holroyde Sen College, Liverpool
Clifford Holroyde Sen College is a special school for boys aged 11 to 16 in Liverpool. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Clifford Holroyde Sen College in detail
Clifford Holroyde Sen College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am privileged to lead the school as Headteacher and am proud of what our pupils achieve. Clifford Holroyde is a specialist SEN College that provides a caring environment where students are supported to achieve their potential. Staff and pupils work together with support from families and carers to make progress and develop necessary life skills."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Clifford Holroyde Sen College are St Vincent's School - A Specialist School for Sensory Impairment and Other Needs (0.9 miles, Requires improvement); Sandfield Park School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); Childwall Abbey School (1.4 miles, Good); and Co-op Academy Rathbone (1.6 miles).
St Vincent's School - A Specialist School for Sensory Impairment and Other NeedsSandfield Park SchoolChildwall Abbey SchoolCo-op Academy Rathbone
Where pupils go next
Of the 13 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 54% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college.
Who goes there
89.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (5%).
Almost every pupil at Clifford Holroyde Sen College has an education, health and care plan (75 of 75 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Clifford Holroyde Sen College provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Broad Green Rail Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thingwall Lane (opposite), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Clifford Holroyde Sen College stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Clifford Holroyde Sen College issued 110 suspensions, 157.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Clifford Holroyde marks a turning point for many pupils who have experienced disrupted education and challenging behaviour in mainstream schools. Staff work hard to build trusting relationships and help pupils manage their behaviour, creating a calm and orderly environment where most pupils behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. The school is ambitious for its pupils, offering a broad range of subjects including modern foreign languages and music, plus extensive activities that build confidence and prepare them for real-world success.
Key Strengths
- Builds strong trusting relationships with pupils, helping those with challenging behaviour to remain calm and refocus
- Provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities and community initiatives that build confidence and prepare pupils for adulthood
- Delivers curriculum well with good use of assessment strategies, regular revisiting of content, and appropriate in-class support
- Places strong focus on pupils' character, resilience, mental health and well-being through clear routines and pastoral care
- Offers high-quality careers advice, work placements and prepares pupils well for their next steps
Areas for Improvement
- Reading support strategies for pupils who struggle are still in early stages - some pupils have gaps in reading knowledge that affect wider curriculum access
- Attendance rates for some pupils remain too high despite improvement efforts, causing them to miss vital learning
- Need to continue implementing reading strategy to help pupils catch up quickly
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, swimming, rowing, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, community initiatives including Christmas tree sales, church soup kitchen volunteering, baking and cake sales, local theatre trips, work placements
Clifford Holroyde Specialist SEN College is a caring and nurturing school where pupils feel safe and happy. The school has maintained good standards and pupils typically achieve well, with almost all progressing to education, training and employment after Year 11.
At a Glance
89.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Clifford Holroyde Sen College
Help Shape Short Breaks Services in Liverpool
25 Sep 2026
e-bike advice
21 Sep 2026
School Uniform Letter - July 26
7 Jul 2026
Changes to holiday support from summer 2026
7 Jul 2026
Changes to holiday support from summer 2026
26 Jun 2026
URGENT: Reduced school times during current Amber weather warning.
24 Jun 2026
From Clifford Holroyde Sen College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Clifford Holroyde Sen College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Clifford Holroyde Sen College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Clifford Holroyde Sen College is in Liverpool; for families living there:
- Liverpool's school travel policy: this document : Home to School Transport Policy 2026-27
- How to apply: Apply for a travel pass
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
6 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 Liverpool is 32 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
75 pupils
75 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Liverpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Liverpool
Across Liverpool council
Places available
6,108
Applications
5,379
Got 1st preference
68.1%
Got preferred school
89.6%
All secondary applications across Liverpool council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
75
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Clifford Holroyde Sen College provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
75
Total Pupils
75
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
9.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,432
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
27.3%
Overall absence
75.0%
Persistent absence
72
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Clifford Holroyde Sen College
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Clifford Holroyde Sen College
What are GCSE results like at Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Clifford Holroyde Sen College achieved an Attainment 8 score of 7.5. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Clifford Holroyde Sen College's Ofsted rating?
Clifford Holroyde Sen College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
No fixed boundary. When Clifford Holroyde Sen College is oversubscribed, Liverpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
Clifford Holroyde Sen College has around 75 pupils on roll. 89% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Clifford Holroyde Sen College have specialist SEN provision?
Clifford Holroyde Sen College provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
27.3% of sessions were missed at Clifford Holroyde Sen College in 2024/25. 75% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
Apply through Liverpool's coordinated admissions process, naming Clifford Holroyde Sen College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 6 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 Liverpool is 32 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Clifford Holroyde Sen College?
Clifford Holroyde Sen College is at Thingwall Lane, Knotty Ash, Liverpool, Merseyside, L14 7NX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)