Merefield School, Southport
Merefield School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Southport, part of Southport Learning Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Merefield School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Merefield School are Arden College (4 miles, Good); Educ8 Southport (4.3 miles); Acre View Primary School (5.7 miles, Good); and Presfield High School and Specialist College (5.9 miles, Good).
Arden CollegeEduc8 SouthportAcre View Primary SchoolPresfield High School and Specialist College
The trust
Merefield School is one of 9 schools run by Southport Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 students who left the sixth form in 2022/23, 0% went on to university or other higher education.
Who goes there
59.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Merefield School has an education, health and care plan (116 of 116 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Merefield School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ainsdale Rail Station, about 620 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Westminster Drive (adjacent), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 50 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sefton (165).
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Merefield School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2025. Before that, as Merefield School (URN 104979), it was rated Outstanding in June 2019.
At a Glance
59.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Merefield School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Merefield School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Merefield 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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
100%
Full
116 pupils
116 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Southport
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southport
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
116
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Merefield School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
116
Total Pupils
87
Boys
29
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
6.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,657
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at Merefield School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 104979). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
7.3%
Overall absence
20.5%
Persistent absence
88
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
Questions parents ask about Merefield School
What is Merefield School's Ofsted rating?
Merefield School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2025. Before that, as Merefield School (URN 104979), it was rated Outstanding in June 2019.
What is the catchment area for Merefield School?
No fixed boundary. When Merefield School is oversubscribed, Sefton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Merefield School?
Merefield School has around 116 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Merefield School have specialist SEN provision?
Merefield School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
How do I apply to Merefield School?
Apply through Sefton's coordinated admissions process, naming Merefield 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 Merefield School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Merefield School?
Merefield School is at Westminster Drive, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2QZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)