Childwall Sports & Science Academy

About Childwall Sports & Science Academy

Childwall Sports & Science Academy was rated Good overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018. The school received Good across every category inspected, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. However, the most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.92, which places it in the "well below average" band nationally. This means that, on average, pupils at Childwall achieve nearly a grade less per subject across eight GCSEs than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The school ranks 25th out of 30 secondary schools in the Liverpool local authority on this measure, putting it in the bottom 17% locally and the bottom 5% nationally. For context, the Liverpool LA average Progress 8 score is -0.4, so Childwall's results sit significantly below the typical local school.

At Key Stage 4, the school's Attainment 8 score is 33.4, and just 22.6% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 95 measure). The EBacc entry rate is low at 21.5%, with only 5.1% achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is similarly challenging: the school's value-added score is -0.32, rated "below average", and the average points per entry is 25.41, equivalent to a C- grade. No students achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. With only 25 pupils in the sixth-form cohort, it is a small provision. The school's Progress 8 banding is "well below average", and its ranking within the North West region is 409th out of 445 schools. These figures suggest that while the school has improved its Ofsted rating, academic outcomes remain an area of focus, particularly in comparison to local peers like The Blue Coat School, which tops the LA rankings.

Childwall Sports & Science Academy is a mixed, non-faith secondary school in Liverpool for pupils aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 1,048 against a capacity of 1,200. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 740 applications for 202 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.66, with 129 offers made to first-preference applicants out of 170 who listed it first. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage, as 47.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, sports hall, and a sixth-form centre. The school offers a wide range of SEND support, covering dyslexia, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language issues, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. Extracurricular options include the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, debate, and science club. This school may suit families who value its improved Ofsted rating and broad SEND provision, but who are realistic about its below-average academic outcomes and the competitive admissions process.

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