The Academy of St Francis of Assisi

About The Academy of St Francis of Assisi

The Academy of St Francis of Assisi in Liverpool is a mixed, Church of England/Roman Catholic secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16, currently led by headteacher Teresa Bleasdale. With 892 pupils on roll against a capacity of 900, the school is essentially full, and demand significantly outstrips supply: for 172 places in the 2025/26 academic year, there were 326 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.9. Of those, 142 were first-preference applications, and 130 first-preference offers were made. The school serves a notably disadvantaged community, with 57% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national average and a clear signal of the socioeconomic context the school operates within. This intake profile is a key factor in understanding the school’s performance data, as it faces challenges that many schools with more affluent catchments do not.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024 rated it as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2018. The inspection found that quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all require improvement, though personal development was judged Good. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 4 results, the school’s Progress 8 score was -0.76, placing it well below average nationally and ranking 22nd out of 30 schools in the Liverpool local authority. This is notably lower than the LA average Progress 8 of -0.4. The Attainment 8 score was 33, and just 37.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score was 2.81, with only 8.4% of pupils entering the EBacc and 5.1% achieving it at grade 5 or above. These figures reflect the significant challenge of raising attainment in a high-deprivation context.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, sports hall, swimming pool, science labs, ICT suite, art studios, and a chapel. Sports provision is extensive, with options such as rugby, tennis, rowing, hockey, football, and martial arts, while clubs include chess, gardening, debate, orchestra, and an eco club. SEND support is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. There is no sixth form, so pupils must plan for post-16 transition elsewhere. This school will suit families who value a faith-based, inclusive environment and are realistic about the academic challenges, but who also want strong pastoral and SEND support in a school that is clearly popular within its local community.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Academy of St Francis of Assisi

Helpful Guides for Parents