Calderstones School

Calderstones School has made significant progress since its previous inspection, moving from a rating of Requires Improvement to Good. The school fosters a supportive and welcoming environment, where pupils feel safe and valued. Leaders have high expectations and have designed a curriculum that is ambitious and relevant, catering well to the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. Despite these advancements, there are still areas for improvement, particularly regarding reading support for key stage 4 pupils and ensuring that teaching strategies effectively reinforce prior learning.

Strengths

• Strong culture of respect and support within the school community.
• High expectations for behavior and learning have been established.
• Curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, particularly for pupils with SEND.
• Effective strategies for safeguarding and promoting pupil welfare.
• Comprehensive personal, social, health, and economic education curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers struggle to effectively revisit prior learning, hindering subsequent learning.
• Weak readers in key stage 4 do not receive timely support, affecting their progress.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Calderstones School attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.9% of pupils at Calderstones School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Calderstones School had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 22.0% of pupils at Calderstones School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Calderstones School received £8,276 and spent £8,732 for each of its 1,596 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £319,000 (-£200 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Liverpool · Liverpool local authority: places and applications

What is Calderstones School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Calderstones School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Calderstones School last inspected by Ofsted?

Calderstones School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Calderstones School have?

Calderstones School has 1,592 pupils on roll.

What age range does Calderstones School cover?

Calderstones School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Calderstones School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.9, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Calderstones School?

Calderstones School is at Harthill Road, Allerton, Liverpool, Merseyside, L18 3HS.