Bellerive FCJ Catholic College

About Bellerive FCJ Catholic College

Bellerive FCJ Catholic College is a girls' secondary school in Liverpool that is clearly in demand. With 931 pupils on roll against a capacity of 900, the school is technically full, and the oversubscription picture is striking: for 178 places in the 2025/26 intake, the school received 517 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.9. Only 73 of those offers went to first-preference applicants, suggesting that many families who put it top still missed out. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 32.9%, which is significantly above the national average and points to an intake that draws from a wide range of economic backgrounds. As a Roman Catholic school, it will have its own admissions criteria, but the sheer volume of applications — 78 first preferences for those 178 places — indicates strong local confidence in what the school offers.

Academically, the picture is mixed. Bellerive's Progress 8 score of -0.37 is below average nationally, placing it in the bottom 50% of schools, but it sits just above the Liverpool local authority average of -0.4. That means pupils here make slightly less progress than the national average, but in line with other schools in the area. The Attainment 8 score of 47.4 is respectable, and 74% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though that drops to 51.3% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 30%, and the EBacc average point score is 4.02. In the sixth form, the picture is more challenging: the value added score is -0.2, and the best three A-levels average out at a C- grade. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also Good, and the ungraded visit that year confirmed it remains Good.

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, music rooms, and a chapel, plus a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, gymnastics, and cross country, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to Young Enterprise and Eco Club. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering Bellerive, the key takeaway is that it is a popular, oversubscribed school with a strong local reputation, particularly for its inclusive intake and Catholic ethos. The academic results are in line with the local average, and the sixth form, while small, provides a clear continuation route. It will suit families who value a community-focused girls' school with good facilities and a wide co-curricular offer, and who are comfortable with results that reflect the local context rather than pushing far beyond it.

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