St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy, Liverpool
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy is a secondary school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Liverpool, part of St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 28th-highest of the 42 schools in Liverpool with published results, and 2,901st of 3,298 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Liverpool (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy in detail
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Saint Francis Xavier’s Catholic Academy, the oldest Catholic day school in England. It is a personal honour to welcome you as Headteacher of our prestigious academy."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.8 in Liverpool and 47 across England.
32% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 38% in Liverpool and 47% in England.
That is up from 36.7 in 2025.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 31.8, against 39.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy
For September 2026 entry, 68 families put St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy as their first choice and 299 named it as one of their preferences, for 165 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy are Calderstones School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.9); St Julie's Catholic High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.2); Gateacre School (1 mile, Attainment 8 39.4); and King David High School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 55.4).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy.
Calderstones SchoolSt Julie's Catholic High SchoolGateacre SchoolKing David High School
The trust
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy is one of 11 schools run by St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
In 2026, 209 pupils (22.3%) received SEN support and 25 (2.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is West Allerton Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Beaconsfield Road (adjacent), 370 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 86 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Liverpool (342).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy issued 534 suspensions, 52.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 15 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy are Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School, Woolton (0.6 miles); Childwall Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles); Woolton Primary School (0.8 miles); and Our Lady's Bishop Eton Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School, WooltonChildwall Church of England Primary SchoolWoolton Primary SchoolOur Lady's Bishop Eton Catholic 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 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
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in April 2024. Before that, as St Francis Xavier's College (URN 138463), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2021.
At a Glance
31.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Attainment 8 has improved from 36.7 to 37.8 (2025 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 32% (2025 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 37.8 | 32.1% |
| Disadvantaged(47) | - | 31.8 | 29.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(137) | - | 39.9 | 32.8% |
| Boys(184) | - | 37.8 | 32.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(17) | - | 42.7 | 41.2% |
| Non mobile(177) | - | 38.6 | 32.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
Exclusions & Suspensions
15
Permanent exclusions
1.46%
Exclusion rate
534
Suspensions
52.15%
Suspension rate
157 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,024 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy
Term dates
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Liverpool's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy 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
- Post-16 transport: Liverpool states a charge of £680 a year. Source
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
Your chances of a place at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy
Will you get a place at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Liverpool, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy for 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Liverpool 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
77%
Available places
1,000 pupils
1,302 places
302 spare places 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 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.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
209
SEN Support
25
EHC Plans
24.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
939
Total Pupils
939
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
57
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,744
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,265
Per pupil
£7154k
Total funding
£310k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.1%
Overall absence
31.7%
Persistent absence
957
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
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy
What are GCSE results like at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 37.8. 32% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in April 2024. Before that, as St Francis Xavier's College (URN 138463), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2021.
What is the catchment area for St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy is oversubscribed, Liverpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 1302 places.
How big are the classes at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
Classes at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy average 22.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy has around 939 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
11.1% of sessions were missed at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy in 2024/25. 31.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
Apply through Liverpool's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy 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 St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy?
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy is at Woolton Hill Road, Woolton, Liverpool, Merseyside, L25 6EG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)