Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
68%
Capacity
834
Pupils
2.3x
Demand
About Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre is a popular choice among Sefton families, with 340 applications for 151 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.25. Of those, 116 were first-preference applications, and the school offered places to all of them. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, the high demand suggests a strong local reputation. The school is a mixed, state-funded Roman Catholic secondary for ages 11 to 18, with a current roll of 834 pupils against a capacity of 1223, so there is some room for growth. Headteacher Erin Wheeler leads a school where 31.5 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, reflecting a diverse intake. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2020, with Good marks for quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management.
Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year is -0.62, which is well below average nationally and ranks it 8th out of 14 secondary schools in Sefton. This is slightly below the local authority average of -0.59. The Attainment 8 score is 41.5, and 53.9 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 20 per cent, with 13 per cent achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the value-added score is -0.13, which is rated as average, and the average points per entry is 30.18, equivalent to a grade C. The best three A-levels average grade is C+, with 8.3 per cent of entries achieving AAB or higher. The sixth form provision was rated Requires Improvement in the 2023 inspection, which is something to consider for families looking at post-16 options.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, science labs, music rooms, a chapel, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include hockey, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, football, and rugby, while clubs range from Orchestra and Coding to Model UN and Young Enterprise. The school’s SEND provisions cover a broad spectrum, including support for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a potentially good fit for families seeking a Catholic secondary with strong community demand and a broad extracurricular offer, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to compare with higher-performing peers like Formby High School, which leads the local authority with a Progress 8 score of 0.43.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Stamford Road, Southport, Sefton, PR8 4EX |
| Headteacher | Erin Wheeler |
| Local Authority | Sefton |
| Number of Pupils | 834 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 31.5% |
| School Capacity | 834 / 1,223 (68% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Nov 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 18 Jan 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.62)
2751st of 3,141
Nationally
364th of 445
In North West
8th of 14
In Sefton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
31.6
'22/23
24.8
'23/24
30.2
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2333%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 165 pupils).
- FE college58%
- School sixth form (stay)33%
- Not sustained5%
- Employment2%
- Apprenticeship1%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2356%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 54 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
20%
Russell Group
23%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)56%
- Employment20%
- Not sustained6%
- Further education2%
- Apprenticeship2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Media/Film/Tv Studies18
- Psychology17
- Biology14
- Chemistry13
- Mathematics11
- Business Studies:Single8
- Law7
- Sociology7
- Art and Design5
- History5
- Physics5
- Geography3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed151
340
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
116 families put this school as their 1st choice (34% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:05
Breakfast club
08:10-08:35
Source: christtheking-school.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British68.9%
- White (other)12.0%
- Asian7.7%
- Mixed4.9%
- Black0.4%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
6
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Stamford Road, Southport
Sefton, PR8 4EX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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