Peterhouse School, Southport
Peterhouse School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Southport. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, ended in a report card: 5 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Before that it was rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in May 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 5 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Peterhouse School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Peterhouse School on 7 areas: 5 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders manage attendance thoughtfully and carefully."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders identify, assess and meet pupils' needs promptly and accurately."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance share a clear purpose centred on pupils' welfare, learning and inclusion."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a personal development and wellbeing programme that reflects pupils' needs and experiences."
Post 16 provision - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a post‑16 study programme that reflects students' strengths, interests and aspirations."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils make progress from often very low and disrupted starting points."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a curriculum that reflects pupils' needs, interests and starting points."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to develop teachers' expertise, when using assessments, to check and address misconceptions in pupils' understanding consistently".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Peterhouse School in its own words
In its own words: "When Pat Minshull realised that her son Peter had autism her initial concern was for his education. With a group of supporters she successfully raised funds to buy a property in Southport, where she founded Peterhouse School in 1973."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Peterhouse School are Presfield High School and Specialist College (under 0.1 miles, Good); Educ8 Southport (1.8 miles); Arden College (2 miles, Good); and Merefield School (6 miles).
Presfield High School and Specialist CollegeEduc8 SouthportArden CollegeMerefield School
Where pupils go next
Of the 9 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2022/23, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 11% to a further education college and 11% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
41.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Peterhouse School has an education, health and care plan (70 of 70 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Peterhouse School provides for pupils with autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Meols Cop Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lexton Drive (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sefton (165).
Suspensions and exclusions
Peterhouse School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 6 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post 16 provisionStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Peterhouse School
Pupils arrive to a calm and welcoming school where daily routines are clear and familiar and where staff know them well. This helps pupils feel safe and ready to begin their day. Adults model respectful and patient behaviour, and pupils respond positively, learning to manage interactions with increasing confidence. When pupils feel anxious or unsettled, staff support them well to recognise their emotions. Staff use strategies that help pupils manage their feelings and settle back into learning effectively. Pupils feel that they belong. They form friendships, look after one another and describe the school as consistent and fair. Bullying is very rare, and pupils trust adults to address any concerns promptly and sensitively. This helps pupils feel protected and valued within the school community. Pupils' attendance shows that they enjoy coming to school. Many pupils attend more regularly than they have in the past, especially those with previous negative experiences of education. Pupils engage positively in learning, particularly where activities are practical and hands‑on. Teachers adapt learning carefully so pupils can take part meaningfully. Over time, pupils make progress from the levels they were working at when they joined the school, including in communication, reading, writing and mathematics. This is evident in pupils' work, classroom learning and nationally recognised qualifications, where appropriate. Pupils value the wider opportunities available to them. Many look forward to residential visits, which they talk about with excitement and pride. These experiences help pupils practise independence, develop confidence and build relationships in unfamiliar settings. Pupils also feel that their views matter. Through the school council, they help shape aspects of school life, including enrichment activities. Pupils recognise that their ideas lead to real changes, which further strengthens their sense of belonging. Students in the post-16 provision describe feeling more confident as they develop independence through travel training, managing money and work‑related experiences, helping them feel prepared for what comes next.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue to develop teachers' expertise, when using assessments, to check and address misconceptions in pupils' understanding consistently.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 21 April 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Peterhouse School excels at understanding and supporting pupils who have struggled in education elsewhere. Staff demonstrate genuine care and dedication, using autism-informed approaches and flexible teaching to help pupils rebuild confidence and re-engage with learning. The school works closely with families, making them feel listened to and supported, with many parents reporting significant improvements in their child's curiosity, communication and independence.
Key Strengths
- Excellent support for pupils with autism and special educational needs, with staff making thoughtful adjustments to environments and routines
- Strong attendance and behaviour management through personalised support and close family partnerships
- Comprehensive personal development programme including therapeutic support (art, music, drama) and community visits to museums and mosques
- Flexible education offer that successfully helps pupils rebuild confidence and transition to full-time attendance
- Clear focus on preparing pupils for adulthood through practical life skills and careers guidance
Areas for Improvement
- Approaches to checking learning need to be used more consistently so pupils' academic progress can be clearly tracked across all curriculum areas
- Further refinement needed in some aspects of teaching to sustain recent curriculum improvements
- Need to ensure recent improvements in curriculum design and teaching are sustained over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Museums visits, mosque visits, art, music, drama therapy, community visits, work-related experiences, shopping trips, careers events, employer encounters
Peterhouse School is a specialist school serving pupils with complex needs, including those with autism and those who have experienced difficulties with mainstream education. The school has achieved strong standards across most areas, with particular strengths in inclusion, behaviour, and personal development.
At a Glance
41.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Peterhouse School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Peterhouse School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Peterhouse 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
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 6 serious and 15 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 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
88%
Available places
70 pupils
80 places
10 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.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
70
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Peterhouse School provides for pupils with autism.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
70
Total Pupils
57
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
25.1%
Overall absence
46.2%
Persistent absence
52
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 Peterhouse School
What is Peterhouse School's Ofsted rating?
Peterhouse School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Peterhouse School?
No fixed boundary. When Peterhouse School is oversubscribed, Sefton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Peterhouse School?
Peterhouse School has around 70 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Peterhouse School have specialist SEN provision?
Peterhouse School provides for pupils with autism.
What is attendance like at Peterhouse School?
25.1% of sessions were missed at Peterhouse School in 2024/25. 46.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Peterhouse School?
Apply through Sefton's coordinated admissions process, naming Peterhouse 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 Peterhouse 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, 6 serious and 15 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Sefton is 16 (the median across 116 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Peterhouse School?
Peterhouse School is at Preston New Road, Churchtown, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)