Purple Ruler, Liverpool
Purple Ruler is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Liverpool.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Purple Ruler in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Purple Ruler are LIPA School (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 38); Liverpool Life Sciences UTC (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.6); The Studio School Liverpool (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.1); and Notre Dame Catholic Academy (1.3 miles, Attainment 8 30).
LIPA SchoolLiverpool Life Sciences UTCThe Studio School LiverpoolNotre Dame Catholic Academy
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moorfields Rail Station, about 140 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Edmund Street (adjacent), 80 metres away.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Purple Ruler are Holy Cross Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), The Trinity Catholic Academy (0.8 miles), St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles) and Pleasant Street Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Holy Cross Catholic Primary SchoolThe Trinity Catholic AcademySt Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary SchoolPleasant Street Primary School
Source: NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Purple Ruler excels at helping anxious and vulnerable young people re-engage with learning through caring, responsive teaching and strong staff-pupil relationships. Teachers skillfully tailor lessons to individual pupil interests and needs, using technology effectively to make learning engaging. The setting communicates excellently with parents and schools about pupil progress.
Key Strengths
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through individualised, tailored teaching
- Strong positive relationships between staff and pupils that help them re-engage with learning in a calm, nurturing environment
- Effective use of assessment information and questioning to adapt teaching to each pupil's needs and interests
- Specialist teachers with secure subject knowledge deliver engaging lessons using technology effectively
- Clear and responsive communication with schools that place pupils at the setting
Areas for Improvement
- The teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar in English is not consistently coordinated and relies too heavily on individual teachers' expertise
- Some parents would like more advance information about upcoming curriculum content to help support their children's learning at home
- Some pupils would welcome more practical subjects, though leaders recognise the limitations of online provision
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are appropriate with a well-trained designated safeguarding lead, rigorous recruitment processes, comprehensive staff induction, regular safeguarding updates, and robust computer system protections.
Purple Ruler is an online education provider for pupils aged 11-16 who find it difficult to attend physical schools, particularly those with anxiety and other support needs. The provider meets all minimum standards for online education.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Latest from Purple Ruler
We Gave Away 1,258 Hours Of Maths This Summer
2 Sep 2026
How Online Teaching Reached a Child the Classroom Could Not
25 Aug 2026
The New Inclusion Centre Playbook: Why Schools Are Bringing Alternative Provision Back In-House
18 Jun 2026
How The White Horse Federation Built a Single, Trust-Wide Alternative Provision Hub with Purple Ruler
12 Jun 2026
When Policy Travels Further Than Capacity
12 Jun 2026
Who Are We Becoming to Them?
9 Apr 2025
From Purple Ruler's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Purple Ruler
Getting There
Train Stations
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 99
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 25
- Children hurt
- 31
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 99 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 25 serious and 74 slight.
31 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 20 on foot and 11 in a vehicle or otherwise.
17 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
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
Area Demand Pressure - Liverpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Liverpool
Inspection History
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Purple Ruler
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Purple Ruler
What is the catchment area for Purple Ruler?
No fixed boundary. When Purple Ruler is oversubscribed, your local authority allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Purple Ruler?
Apply through your local authority's coordinated admissions process, naming Purple Ruler 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 Purple Ruler?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 99 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 25 serious and 74 slight. 31 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 20 on foot and 11 in a vehicle or otherwise. 17 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
Where is Purple Ruler?
Purple Ruler is at Unit 9 Second Floor, Honeycomb Building, Edmund Street, Liverpool, L3 9NG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)