Kirkby High School, Liverpool
Kirkby High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Liverpool, part of The Rowan Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 38th-highest of the 42 schools in Liverpool with published results, and 3,117th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Knowsley (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kirkby High School in detail
Kirkby High School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "It is my privilege to welcome you to Kirkby High School. We are an 11-16 mixed comprehensive of around 1000 students where we continually strive to provide the highest standards for our whole school community. All staff at Kirkby High School fully embrace our mission: Maximising our Potential. Leading this wonderful school fills me with great pride."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, gymnastics, basketball, badminton, dance, chess, STEM, film and debating.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Kirkby High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 36.2 in Knowsley and 47 across England.
24% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 26% in Knowsley and 47% in England.
That is up from 31.4 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.63: 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 32, against 39 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Kirkby High School
For September 2026 entry, 158 families put Kirkby High School as their first choice and 382 named it as one of their preferences, for 195 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Kirkby High School are All Saints Catholic High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.6); Dixons Fazakerley Academy (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 35.9); St John Bosco Arts College (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.1); and Dixons Croxteth Academy (1.9 miles, Attainment 8 35).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Kirkby High School.
All Saints Catholic High SchoolDixons Fazakerley AcademySt John Bosco Arts CollegeDixons Croxteth Academy
The trust
Kirkby High School is one of 12 schools run by The Rowan Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.8 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 197 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 71% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
59.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kirkby Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kirkby Sports College (nw-bound), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Kirkby High School issued 221 suspensions, 21.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Kirkby High School are St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), St Laurence's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles), Park Brow Community Primary School (0.7 miles) and Kirkby CofE Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary SchoolSt Laurence's Catholic Primary SchoolPark Brow Community Primary SchoolKirkby CofE Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Kirkby High School is a Knowsley based co-educational secondary school educating pupils aged 11–16 years of age in the Kirkby area of Merseyside, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
59.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -1.19 to -1.63 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 32.0 to 34.8 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 17% to 24% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 34.8 | 24.1% |
| Disadvantaged(117) | - | 32.0 | 18.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(78) | - | 39.0 | 32.1% |
| Boys(97) | - | 32.5 | 24.7% |
| Girls(98) | - | 37.1 | 23.5% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(15) | - | 37.6 | 6.7% |
| Non mobile(187) | - | 35.1 | 24.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 197 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
5
Permanent exclusions
0.49%
Exclusion rate
221
Suspensions
21.52%
Suspension rate
111 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,027 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Kirkby High School
Term dates
Kirkby High School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Knowsley's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kirkby High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kirkby High School 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 5 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 on a bicycle.
4 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 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
Your chances of a place at Kirkby High School
Will you get a place at Kirkby High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kirkby High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kirkby High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kirkby High School.
- Knowsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Kirkby High School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Kirkby High School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Knowsley got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
103%
Over capacity
1,026 pupils
1,000 places
26 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Liverpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Liverpool
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
205
SEN Support
48
EHC Plans
24.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,042
Total Pupils
535
Boys
507
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
69
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,772
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,229
Per pupil
£11337k
Total funding
£659k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.9%
Overall absence
39.2%
Persistent absence
1,026
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
Kirkby High School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Kirkby High School
What are GCSE results like at Kirkby High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Kirkby High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 34.8. 24% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Kirkby High School's Ofsted rating?
Kirkby High School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Kirkby High School?
No fixed boundary. When Kirkby High School is oversubscribed, Knowsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Kirkby High School?
Kirkby High School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Kirkby High School?
Classes at Kirkby High School average 22.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Kirkby High School?
Kirkby High School has around 1042 pupils on roll. 59% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kirkby High School?
12.9% of sessions were missed at Kirkby High School in 2024/25. 39.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kirkby High School?
Apply through Knowsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Kirkby High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Kirkby High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 5 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 on a bicycle. 4 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 Kirkby High School?
Kirkby High School is at Bracknell Avenue, Kirkby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L32 9PP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)