Ridgeway High School

Ridgeway High School has shown notable improvement since its previous inspection and is now rated as good overall. The school fosters a strong sense of community, prioritizing the happiness and safety of its pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is ambitious and, while it prepares pupils well for future pathways, there are some inconsistencies in its design that have affected external examination results. The school encourages high aspirations and provides various extra-curricular opportunities, helping pupils to thrive both academically and socially.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community among pupils
• High aspirations for all pupils
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum in most subjects
• Teachers possess strong subject knowledge
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Prioritization of reading and development of a love for reading
• Positive behaviour and attitude from pupils
• Strong dedication from governors and leaders

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum design in a few subjects
• Some teachers do not effectively use assessment information to address misconceptions

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 Ridgeway High School attended 87.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 43.3% 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, 13.4% of pupils at Ridgeway High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Ridgeway High School had 11.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.2% 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, 22.5% of pupils at Ridgeway High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 8.9% 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 Ridgeway High School received £10,707 and spent £10,811 for each of its 861 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £208,000 (£242 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 Prenton · Wirral local authority: places and applications

What is Ridgeway High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ridgeway High School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Ridgeway High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ridgeway High School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Ridgeway High School have?

Ridgeway High School has 858 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ridgeway High School cover?

Ridgeway High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ridgeway High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.7, and 21% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ridgeway High School?

Ridgeway High School is at Noctorum Avenue, Noctorum, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 9EB.