West Derby School, Liverpool

In its own words: "We offer a full range of academic and enrichment opportunities to all, and we are very proud of our pupils’ achievements. All students are entered for an extensive range of examinations. We want our students to be happy and successful, to be good citizens and to enjoy their years with us."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Our school is a Single Academy Trust boys’ school which welcomes girls into the Sixth Form. West Derby School endeavours to nurture the caring, trusting and strong relationships between pupils, staff and families. The core aim of our school comes from our tireless pursuit of achieving excellence in all aspects of school life."

In 2026, pupils at West Derby School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.5, 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 down from 42 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.66: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 31.9, against 40.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Computer Science.

For September 2026 entry, 200 families put West Derby School as their first choice and 515 named it as one of their preferences, for 174 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 66 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to West Derby School are Holly Lodge Girls' College (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.1); St Edward's College (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 53.3); The Academy of St Francis of Assisi (1 mile, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 32.8); and Dixons Broadgreen Academy (1.3 miles, Attainment 8 37).

West Derby School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Of the 174 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 45% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 61 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 13% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

38.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 216 pupils (21.4%) received SEN support and 27 (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 autism.

The nearest railway station is Wavertree Technology Park Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bankfield Road (adjacent), 160 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood West Derby School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, West Derby School issued 99 suspensions, 9.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 9 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to West Derby School are Lister Primary School (0.2 miles), St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles), Roscoe Primary School (0.4 miles) and Runnymede St Edward's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.