Millstead School, Liverpool
Millstead School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Liverpool. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Millstead School in detail
Millstead School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I hope that it will give you a good insight into our happy and successful school where children love to be. Millstead is an amazing provision full of wonderful people. We are a special school for fantastic children aged 2 - 11 years, who have profound & multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) and complex autism."
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 3 November 2026, an admissions event on Tuesday 17 November 2026, an admissions event on Tuesday 24 November 2026 and an admissions event on Tuesday 8 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Liverpool
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Millstead School are Princes School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); Co-op Academy Rathbone (2.1 miles); Liverpool Progressive School (2.2 miles); and IMPACT Northwest Schools (2.4 miles, Good).
Princes SchoolCo-op Academy RathboneLiverpool Progressive SchoolIMPACT Northwest Schools
Who goes there
51.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 17.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Millstead School has an education, health and care plan (309 of 309 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Millstead School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Liverpool Lime Street Rail Station, about 1130 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Virgil Street (opposite), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Millstead School 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 1251 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, drug offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Liverpool (342), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Millstead School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2013 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Millstead School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Millstead School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Millstead School 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
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 18 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
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
294%
Over capacity
309 pupils
105 places
204 pupils over capacity
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
309
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Millstead 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
309
Total Pupils
227
Boys
82
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
9.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,087
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.5%
Overall absence
30.0%
Persistent absence
217
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Millstead School
Questions parents ask about Millstead School
What are SATs results like at Millstead School?
Of the pupils at Millstead School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Millstead School's Ofsted rating?
Millstead School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Millstead School?
No fixed boundary. When Millstead School is oversubscribed, Liverpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Millstead School?
Millstead School has around 309 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Millstead School have specialist SEN provision?
Millstead School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Millstead School?
10.5% of sessions were missed at Millstead School in 2024/25. 30% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Millstead School?
Apply through Liverpool's coordinated admissions process, naming Millstead 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 Millstead School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 18 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 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 Millstead School?
Millstead School is at Iliad Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L5 3LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)