Dixons Croxteth Academy

About Dixons Croxteth Academy

Dixons Croxteth Academy is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in the Liverpool local authority, serving 405 pupils aged 11 to 18. It is one of 36 state secondary schools in the area, but its performance places it near the bottom of that list: ranked 26th in Liverpool on Progress 8, with a score of -0.94. That puts it in the bottom 50% of schools nationally, and well behind the top local performers such as The Blue Coat School (Progress 8 of 0.77), Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School (0.66), and Archbishop Blanch CofE High School (0.63). The school is heavily oversubscribed in its local context — 102 applications for 98 places in the 2025/26 admissions round — but only 33 first-preference offers were made from 34 first-preference applications, suggesting many families are not ranking it first. Over half of its pupils (53.3%) are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, and the school has capacity for 600 but currently holds 405, meaning it is running well below its physical capacity.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2020 rated it Inadequate overall, with Inadequate marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. Personal development was the only area rated Good. This was a decline from its previous inspection in 2017, which also rated overall effectiveness as Inadequate but had leadership and management at Requires Improvement. In the 2023/24 exam results, the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.94 is significantly below the Liverpool local authority average of -0.4, and its Attainment 8 score of 27.9 is low. Only 14.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, and just 2.7% entered the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score was 2.35, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is described as 'well below average'. There is no published sixth-form data, though the school does have an official sixth form.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sixth form centre, chapel, art studios, and music rooms, plus sports such as rugby, gymnastics, and athletics. Clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. Its SEND provisions cover seven areas, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Despite being oversubscribed overall, the relatively low first-preference ratio suggests it may be a fallback option for many families. Given its Inadequate Ofsted rating and very low Progress 8 scores, this school is likely to suit families who value its wide facilities and SEND support but who are prepared to work closely with the school to support academic progress, or who are considering it as a local option while awaiting improvement.

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