Sefton has a range of excellent secondary schools, but every parent wants their little one to go to the best ‘big school’ they can. So when they pick their top three preferences for the new academic year, it can make finding out on March 1 a momentous day.
Below, we’ve listed all the secondary schools in Sefton which have received ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ Ofsted ratings to see if your school ranks among the best and how it compares to other schools.
Osted is the regulatory body responsible for visiting schools across the country and grading them on a four-point scale. At the bottom of the scale is ‘inadequate’, followed by ‘requires improvement’, ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’.
Grades are based on overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviours and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
We have compiled a list of secondary schools to receive the highest rankings*, up to March 2023. Did your child’s school make the list?
*Please note special schools are not included.

1. Sefton’s good and outstanding secondary schools
These are the highest rated schools in Sefton. | dglimages - stock.adobe.com Photo: dglimages - stock.adobe.com

2. Meols Cop High School - Outstanding
Published in October 2012, the OFSTED report for Meols Cop High School states: “Students enjoy coming to school and say that they feel safe. Effective and consistently applied systems to manage poor behaviour ensure that lessons proceed well. Students are courteous and polite. They take great pride in their school.” | Google

3. Birkdale High School - Good
Published in September 2022, the OFSTED report for Birkdale High School states: “Pupils feel safe when they are in school. They know who to speak with if they are worried or upset. Pupils told inspectors that bullying of any sort is not common. They said that, usually, staff handle these incidents well when they do occur." | Google

4. Chesterfield High School - Good
Published in May 2018, the Ofsted report for Chesterfield High School states: “Leaders’ ongoing commitment to staff training as well as opportunities for staff to share strong practice continue to secure developments in the quality of teaching. Teachers have a strong knowledge of their subjects. They have fostered supportive and effective working relationships with pupils. As a result, effective teaching is allowing pupils to make good progress across the curriculum.” | Image: Google