West Derby School

About West Derby School

West Derby School’s Progress 8 score of -0.66 places it below the Liverpool local authority average of -0.4, meaning pupils here make less academic progress between the end of primary school and their GCSEs than the typical student across the city. This is a significant gap, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is officially rated as ‘well below average’. In the local rankings, it sits 21st out of 30 secondary schools in Liverpool, putting it in the bottom third of its peers. The picture is nuanced, though: the school’s Attainment 8 score of 37.9 is modest, and only 24.7% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. However, with 36% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with higher-than-average disadvantage, which is an important context for interpreting these headline figures.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 saw it jump from a ‘Requires improvement’ rating in 2019 to ‘Good’ across all five key areas, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This represents a clear improvement in quality. At Key Stage 5, the sixth form’s value-added score is -0.13, which is rated as ‘Average’, and the average points per entry grade is a C. The best three A-levels average out at a B- grade, and 18.8% of entries achieved AAB or higher. While the school’s overall progress at GCSE is below the LA norm, the maths progress score (-0.21) is notably less negative than English (-0.86), suggesting a relative strength in that subject. The EBacc entry rate of 35.1% is reasonable, though only 8% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above.

West Derby is a boys’ secondary school with a sixth form, and it is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 453 applications for 191 places, with 154 first-preference applications. This suggests strong local demand despite the academic data. Facilities are extensive and include a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, and a chapel, alongside music rooms, art studios, and an ICT suite. The school offers a wide range of clubs from drama and orchestra to Young Enterprise and debate. Its SEND provisions cover eight areas, including dyslexia, autism, and speech and language needs, which will appeal to families whose children require additional support. For parents prioritising a school that has demonstrably improved its Ofsted rating and offers strong pastoral and extracurricular breadth, West Derby is a serious contender, though those focused purely on academic outcomes may want to look at higher-ranked local options like The Blue Coat School or Cardinal Heenan.

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