The Heath School

The Heath School is a secondary comprehensive academy within The Heath Family Trust, and this inspection found it performing well across all key judgements. Since the previous inspection, leaders have developed an ambitious, rich and well-sequenced curriculum, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and most pupils achieve well. Pupils are happy and safe, behave positively, and benefit from calm classrooms, strong relationships and a wide range of personal development and extracurricular opportunities. The school's strengths include effective staff training, consistent teaching routines, strong careers guidance, and a clear focus on raising aspirations and addressing social disadvantage. Personal development is a standout feature, with pupil leadership, values-based learning, and opportunities such as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award helping to build character and resilience. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and the trust provides useful support and challenge while prioritising staff wellbeing. There are two main areas for improvement. Some teachers do not use the school's assessment systems consistently well, meaning they are sometimes unclear about what pupils have retained and move on before pupils are ready. In addition, teachers do not always design activities that help weaker readers develop confidence in lessons, which can hinder access to the wider curriculum.

Strengths

• Ambitious, rich and well-sequenced curriculum, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Broad subject choice at key stage 4 that supports future study
• Strong subject knowledge and effective staff training supported by the trust
• Consistent whole-school teaching routines that help pupils learn and remember more
• Pupils feel happy and safe, and behaviour in lessons is calm and orderly
• Effective identification of additional needs, with improved outcomes for SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Reading is prioritised, with a vibrant library and bespoke support for early readers
• Personal development is a strength, focused on kindness, integrity and tenacity
• Wide range of extracurricular activities and Duke of Edinburgh's Award opportunities
• Strong impartial careers advice and guidance leading to positive destinations
• Student leadership and pupil voice contribute to strong staff-pupil relationships
• Trust provides effective support and challenge, and staff wellbeing is prioritised
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not use the school's assessment systems consistently well to check what pupils have retained before moving on
• Teachers sometimes do not design activities that help weaker readers develop confidence in lessons, hindering access to the wider curriculum

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 The Heath School attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.9% 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, 8.9% of pupils at The Heath School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 The Heath School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 19.0% of pupils at The Heath School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% 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 2024–25 The Heath School received £8,130 and spent £8,115 for each of its 1,190 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £599,000 (£503 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Heath Family (North West), income was £8,879 and spending £8,893 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Runcorn · Halton local authority: places and applications

The Heath School is part of The Heath Family (North West), which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Palace Fields Primary Academy Runcorn
• Bridgewater Park Primary School Runcorn
• Daresbury Primary School Warrington
• Halsnead Primary School Prescot
• The Prescot School Liverpool
• Litherland Moss Primary School Liverpool
• Litherland High School Liverpool

What is The Heath School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Heath School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was The Heath School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Heath School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does The Heath School have?

The Heath School has 1,174 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Heath School cover?

The Heath School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Heath School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.0, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Heath School?

The Heath School is at Clifton Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4SY.