The Academy of St Nicholas
86%
Capacity
924
Pupils
0.8x
Demand
About The Academy of St Nicholas
The Academy of St Nicholas in Liverpool is a secondary school that, based on the most recent admissions data for 2025/26, was not oversubscribed. It received 138 total applications for 169 available places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 0.82, and only 52 of those applications were first-preference offers. This suggests that while the school serves its local community, it is not currently a high-pressure choice for parents in the area. The school is a mixed, Roman Catholic and Church of England state secondary for pupils aged 11 to 19, with a current roll of 924 pupils against a capacity of 1,080. A significant 55.7 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average and points to a community with considerable socio-economic challenges. The headteacher is Gary Lloyd, and the school has a dedicated sixth form centre, a chapel, and a range of facilities including science labs, art studios, and a sports hall.
Academically, the school’s outcomes are significantly below average. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with Good ratings for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. This represents a notable improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement. However, the 2023/24 exam results tell a different story. The school’s Progress 8 score was -1.27, placing it well below average nationally and ranking it 28th out of 30 schools in the Liverpool local authority. This is considerably worse than the LA average Progress 8 score of -0.4. Attainment 8 was 27.8, and only 28.9 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the average points per entry was 14.93, equivalent to an E+ grade, and the value added score was -0.94, also well below average.
The school offers a broad range of extracurricular activities, including clubs for orchestra, debate, choir, science, Duke of Edinburgh, chess, eco club, gardening, drama, coding, and Model UN. Sports on offer include basketball, cross country, netball, tennis, athletics, football, and dance. The school also has a comprehensive set of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a potentially suitable choice for families whose children require significant additional support. Given the low oversubscription ratio and below-average academic outcomes, this school may be most appropriate for families prioritising a supportive, inclusive environment with strong SEND provision over high academic performance, or for those living nearby who value its Christian character and wide range of clubs.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic/Church of England |
| Address | 51 Horrocks Avenue, Liverpool, Liverpool, L19 5NY |
| Headteacher | Gary Lloyd |
| Local Authority | Liverpool |
| Number of Pupils | 924 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 55.7% |
| School Capacity | 924 / 1,080 (86% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Dec 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 26 Jan 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-1.27)
3077th of 3,141
Nationally
431st of 445
In North West
28th 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
27.6
'22/23
16.2
'23/24
14.9
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
2022/2342%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 91 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)42%
- FE college35%
- Not sustained14%
- Employment3%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Sixth form college1%
84% 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
2022/2354%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 76 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
16%
Russell Group
19%
Top-third HE
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)54%
- Employment24%
- Not sustained14%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Other education3%
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- English Language and Literature9
- Art and Design (Fine Art)8
- Computer Studies / Computing8
- Mathematics8
- Psychology8
- Religious Studies8
- Biology7
- History6
- Arabic5
- Physics5
- Chemistry4
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
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed169
138
Places Available
More places available than applications received
53 families put this school as their 1st choice (38% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British52.6%
- White (other)7.3%
- Mixed7.2%
- Asian6.3%
- Black3.1%
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.
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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Academy of St Nicholas
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
51 Horrocks Avenue, Liverpool
Liverpool, L19 5NY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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