Clare Mount Specialist Sports College

Clare Mount Specialist Sports College is a special school where all pupils have an education, health and care plan, with moderate and specific learning difficulties and many autistic pupils. Inspectors found a school performing at an exceptionally high level: achievement, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing were all exceptional, while attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and post-16 provision were strong. Safeguarding standards are met. Pupils achieve very well, including in national qualifications, and disadvantaged pupils do better than disadvantaged pupils nationally. Leaders are forensic in removing barriers, staff adapt teaching expertly, and personal development is rich, with strong careers guidance and successful transitions. Attendance is better than national rates for pupils with SEND, and behaviour is exemplary. The school has grown significantly and moved sites recently, but leaders have kept staff wellbeing and workload in focus. No areas of underperformance were identified. The next steps are for leaders and governors to continue refining and embedding their improvement priorities to sustain the school's transformational impact.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve extraordinarily well, including strong outcomes in national qualifications.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve better than disadvantaged pupils nationally.
• Pupils make substantial progress from their starting points across all pathways.
• Inclusion is embedded in every decision, and leaders remove barriers to learning and wellbeing quickly.
• Staff are expertly trained to meet wide-ranging SEND needs and adapt teaching deftly.
• The pupil premium strategy and support for children known to social care are highly effective.
• Leadership and governance provide high-quality oversight, robust challenge and research-led improvement.
• Staff feel valued, and leaders carefully manage wellbeing and workload during significant change.
• Personal development and wellbeing provision is impressive, with rich experiences and life-skills preparation.
• Careers education is a particular strength, with personalised guidance and well-planned transitions.
• Attendance is strong, with absence rates consistently lower than national for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils behave remarkably well, showing self-control, mutual respect and independence.
• The curriculum is broad, meticulously tailored and well sequenced, with effective teaching.
• Post-16 provision is high quality and prepares students well for college, training or supported work.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

In 2024–25 pupils at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 32.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 4.4% of pupils at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No 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 Clare Mount Specialist Sports College had 6.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Clare Mount Specialist Sports College had 461 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Clare Mount Specialist Sports College received £20,891 and spent £19,162 for each of its 461 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,418,000 (£3,075 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

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What is Clare Mount Specialist Sports College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Clare Mount Specialist Sports College is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Clare Mount Specialist Sports College last inspected by Ofsted?

Clare Mount Specialist Sports College was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Clare Mount Specialist Sports College have?

Clare Mount Specialist Sports College has 461 pupils on roll.

What age range does Clare Mount Specialist Sports College cover?

Clare Mount Specialist Sports College for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Clare Mount Specialist Sports College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 16.1, and 4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Clare Mount Specialist Sports College?

Clare Mount Specialist Sports College is at Birket Avenue, Leasowe, CH46 1RA.