Crosby High School, Liverpool
Crosby High School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Liverpool. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Crosby High School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Crosby High School are Olsen House School (0.6 miles, Good); Newfield School (0.9 miles, Good); Rowan Park School (1.9 miles); and Educ8 Liverpool (2.3 miles, Inadequate).
Olsen House SchoolNewfield SchoolRowan Park SchoolEduc8 Liverpool
What parents say
19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Crosby High School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 35 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college.
Who goes there
57.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Crosby High School has an education, health and care plan (173 of 173 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Crosby High School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blundellsands & Crosby Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is De Villiers Avenue (sw-bound), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Crosby High School issued 19 suspensions, 11.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Crosby High School provides a warm, caring environment where all pupils feel valued and supported. The school excels at reading support and behaviour management, helping pupils regulate their emotions and develop confidence. Beyond academics, pupils benefit from a rich programme of personal development activities including trips, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and work experience.
Key Strengths
- Strong, caring school community where pupils feel safe and supported
- Effective reading support with quick identification of needs and targeted phonics help
- Well-established behaviour routines with sensitive emotional support for pupils
- Engaging personal development programme including Duke of Edinburgh Award, outdoor learning and residential trips
- Safeguarding arrangements are effective
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent curriculum across subjects – some lack clear knowledge frameworks and teaching order
- Not all pupils receive challenging enough curriculum matched to their individual abilities
- Assessment systems are underdeveloped and don't effectively track learning progress
- Some teaching methods are inconsistent, limiting pupil knowledge-building
- Recent curriculum improvements still in early stages following leadership changes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate procedures in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor learning, animal care, residential trips, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, work experience, peer ambassador roles
Crosby High School is a special school where all pupils have SEND. While pupils enjoy attending and behaviour is good, the school requires improvement in education quality and leadership as it works to strengthen its curriculum.
At a Glance
57.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Other +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
19 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Crosby High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Crosby High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Crosby High School is in Sefton; for families living there:
- Sefton's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy ext
- How to apply: Apply for Travel Support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 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 Sefton is 16 (the median across 116 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
99%
Near capacity
173 pupils
175 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Liverpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Liverpool
Across Sefton council
Places available
3,321
Applications
2,791
Got 1st preference
89.0%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Sefton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
173
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Crosby High School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
173
Total Pupils
109
Boys
64
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,064
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.5%
Overall absence
24.7%
Persistent absence
170
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
Crosby High School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Crosby High School
What are GCSE results like at Crosby High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Crosby High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 1.5. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Crosby High School's Ofsted rating?
Crosby High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Crosby High School?
No fixed boundary. When Crosby High School is oversubscribed, Sefton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Crosby High School?
Crosby High School has around 173 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Crosby High School have specialist SEN provision?
Crosby High School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Crosby High School?
9.5% of sessions were missed at Crosby High School in 2024/25. 24.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Crosby High School?
Apply through Sefton's coordinated admissions process, naming Crosby High School 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 Crosby High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 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 Sefton is 16 (the median across 116 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Crosby High School?
Crosby High School is at De Villiers Avenue, Crosby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L23 2TH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)