Dixons Fazakerley Academy
79%
Capacity
801
Pupils
0.8x
Demand
About Dixons Fazakerley Academy
Dixons Fazakerley Academy is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in the Liverpool local authority for pupils aged 11 to 16. It sits in a competitive local landscape where the top-performing peers are The Blue Coat School, Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School, and Archbishop Blanch CofE High School. The school’s Progress 8 score of -1.08 places it 27th out of 30 schools in Liverpool, putting it in the bottom 10% of the local authority. Nationally, it ranks 3,043rd out of 3,141 schools, which places it in the bottom 5% of all secondary schools in England. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, with 109 applications for 137 places and 56 first-preference offers made from 57 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 0.8.
Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024 graded it as Requires Improvement across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a notable improvement from its previous inspection in October 2019, when it was rated Inadequate. In terms of exam outcomes, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 33.7, and its Progress 8 score of -1.08 is well below average, significantly underperforming the Liverpool local authority average of -0.4. The percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths is 17.1%, while 40% achieved a grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.03, with 53.5% of pupils entering the EBacc but only 5.3% achieving a grade 5 or above in it.
The school offers a range of facilities including a swimming pool, playing fields, a theatre, sports hall, science labs, and a chapel. Sports on offer include gymnastics, athletics, rugby, hockey, cricket, and netball, while clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Eco Club, Art Club, Chess, and Drama. The school has a broad SEND provision, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 46.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a high-deprivation community. It will suit families who value a school that has shown recent improvement from an Inadequate rating and offers strong SEND support, but parents should be aware that academic outcomes remain significantly below local and national averages.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Sherwoods Lane, Liverpool, Liverpool, L10 1LB |
| Headteacher | Nicholas Hughes |
| Local Authority | Liverpool |
| Number of Pupils | 801 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 46.4% |
| School Capacity | 801 / 1,012 (79% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
24 Apr 2024Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 1 Jul 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-1.08)
3043rd of 3,141
Nationally
420th of 445
In North West
27th of 30
In Liverpool
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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed137
109
Places Available
More places available than applications received
57 families put this school as their 1st choice (52% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half 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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British72.9%
- White (other)7.1%
- Asian5.6%
- Mixed3.7%
- Black0.9%
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.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
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 Dixons Fazakerley Academy
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
Sherwoods Lane, Liverpool
Liverpool, L10 1LB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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