Best secondary schools in Merseyside
School-first choices around Merseyside should still be filtered through postcode quality because the county is far from uniform. This ranking covers 73 secondary schools across 5 local authority districts. Postcode area L18 has the highest average school score (73.9 across 2 schools), while CH45 sits at the lower end (3.7). 77% of ranked Merseyside secondary schools hold an Ofsted Outstanding or Good rating.
Top 10 secondary schools in Merseyside on the LocaleIQ model
Ordered by composite score within the Merseyside comparison pool. Rankings reflect published data, not editorial opinion.
More secondary schools in Merseyside
Positions 11–30 in the Merseyside ranking.
| # | School | LocaleIQ | Ofsted | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | St Julie's Catholic High School | 81.8 | Good | Secondary |
| 12 | Chesterfield High School | 73.3 | Good | Secondary |
| 13 | St Edward's College | 73 | Good | Secondary |
| 14 | King David High School | 72.9 | Good | Secondary |
| 15 | Formby High School | 72.8 | Good | Secondary |
| 16 | Birkenhead High School Academy | 72.4 | Good | All-through |
| 17 | St Hilda's Church of England High School | 70.4 | Good | Secondary |
| 18 | Liverpool Life Sciences UTC | 65.8 | Good | Secondary |
| 19 | Holly Lodge Girls' College | 65.4 | Good | Secondary |
| 20 | St Margaret's Church of England Academy | 65.4 | Good | Secondary |
| 21 | Holy Family Catholic High School | 64.6 | Good | Secondary |
| 22 | Birkdale High School | 59.9 | Good | Secondary |
| 23 | Bellerive FCJ Catholic College | 58.8 | Good | Secondary |
| 24 | Greenbank High School | 54.1 | Good | Secondary |
| 25 | Calderstones School | 53.6 | Good | Secondary |
| 26 | Maricourt Catholic High School | 49 | Good | Secondary |
| 27 | Range High School | 47.5 | Good | Secondary |
| 28 | Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School | 47.3 | Good | Secondary |
| 29 | North Liverpool Academy | 46.1 | Good | Secondary |
| 30 | West Derby School | 42.8 | Good | Secondary |
Keep exploring Merseyside
Questions about secondary schools in Merseyside
What is the best secondary school in Merseyside?
Wirral Grammar School for Girls is the top-ranked secondary school in Merseyside (LocaleIQ score 97.5 out of 100). Ofsted: Outstanding. Attainment 8 69.3. The score combines Ofsted outcome, Progress 8 and Attainment 8, and cohort-weighted percentile ranks within the Merseyside secondary pool.
What is the best primary school in Merseyside?
Thornton Hough Primary School tops the Merseyside primary school ranking (LocaleIQ 99.4). Ofsted: Outstanding. KS2 expected 100% · higher 27%. See the full primary school ranking for Merseyside for the complete list.
Which secondary schools in Merseyside have the best GCSE results?
Attainment 8 measures average GCSE grades across eight subjects; Progress 8 compares actual grades against predictions based on KS2 — a positive figure means pupils outperformed expectations. Top performers in Merseyside: Wirral Grammar School for Girls (Attainment 8 69.3); Upton Hall School FCJ (Attainment 8 65.6); The Blue Coat School (Attainment 8 79.5). Both metrics feed into the LocaleIQ secondary school score.
Which secondary schools in Merseyside are rated Outstanding by Ofsted?
4 secondary schools in the Merseyside ranking hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating: Wirral Grammar School for Girls, Upton Hall School FCJ, Liverpool College, Archbishop Blanch CofE High School. Outstanding means Ofsted judged the school exceptional in all inspection areas. LocaleIQ weighs DfE performance data alongside Ofsted, so a Good-rated school can still rank highly.
How many secondary schools are ranked in Merseyside?
This ranking covers 73 secondary schools in the Merseyside comparison pool, across 5 local authority districts. Schools without sufficient published data are excluded but may appear in the LocaleIQ directory.
Which area of Merseyside has the best secondary schools?
By average LocaleIQ score across postcode areas, L18 has the strongest cluster — 73.9 average across 2 ranked secondary schools. CH45 sits at the lower end (3.7 average). School-first choices around Merseyside should still be filtered through postcode quality because the county is far from uniform. Postcode averages mask individual variation — always review each school's full profile.
Ranking data last computed 29 March 2026.