Meols Cop High School
100%
Capacity
906
Pupils
2.9x
Demand
About Meols Cop High School
Meols Cop High School is a mixed secondary in Sefton that is effectively full, with 906 pupils on roll against a capacity of 905. The school is clearly in high demand: for the 2025/26 intake, 512 families applied for 176 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.91. Of those, 230 put it as their first preference, and 174 first-preference offers were made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 30.9%, which is notably higher than the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. The headteacher is Martin Davis, and the school has no sixth form or nursery provision, so pupils leave at 16. It is a non-denominational school with no religious character, and it is not a boarding school.
Academically, Meols Cop performs solidly within its local context. Its Progress 8 score of -0.17 is well above the Sefton local authority average of -0.59, placing it third out of 14 schools in the LA on this measure. Nationally, it sits in the 62nd percentile, meaning it outperforms most schools across England. The Attainment 8 score is 41.1, and 50.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, with 34.7% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 24.1%, and 10% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023, the school was rated Good overall, with Good in all categories including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This was a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2012, but the school remains a strong performer in the area.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including science labs, a sports hall, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a theatre, art studios, and an astro turf pitch. Sports on offer include tennis, martial arts, gymnastics, swimming, hockey, and basketball, while clubs range from art and science to coding, debate, gardening, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder, with a resourced provision available. Given its strong local reputation, high oversubscription, and above-average Progress 8 compared to the LA average, Meols Cop is a good fit for families in Sefton seeking a secondary that supports a diverse intake and offers strong extracurricular opportunities.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Meols Cop Road, Southport, Sefton, PR8 6JS |
| Headteacher | Martin Davis |
| Local Authority | Sefton |
| Number of Pupils | 906 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 30.9% |
| School Capacity | 906 / 905 (100% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
2 Feb 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 16 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.17)
1939th of 3,141
Nationally
229th of 445
In North West
3rd of 14
In Sefton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make 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
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed176
512
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
230 families put this school as their 1st choice (45% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:10
Source: meolscophighschool.co.uk. 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 British81.6%
- White (other)8.8%
- Mixed4.5%
- Asian2.5%
- Black0.1%
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.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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
6
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 Meols Cop High School
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
Meols Cop Road, Southport
Sefton, PR8 6JS
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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