LIPA Sixth Form College
| Type | 16-19 academy / Free schools 16 to 19 |
| Age Range | 14-19 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | 41 Upper Duke Street Liverpool L1 9DY |
| Reference Number | 142891 |
LIPA Sixth Form College is currently facing significant challenges, rated as inadequate overall due to a severe disruption in education stemming from ongoing industrial action and low staff morale. With almost half of the teaching staff striking, students have experienced lost learning for nearly three months, leading to anxiety about their academic futures despite their high aspirations in performing arts. On the positive side, the college has a historically strong reputation for enabling students to achieve high merit and distinction grades, with support structures typically in place for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the recent decline in educational quality has been a stark contrast to previous inspections, marking a troubling period for the institution and its students.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 402 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 30.1%
Girls: 69.9% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 0% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 0% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 19.4 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 11 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 12 | 63 | 145 | 208 |
| 13 | 58 | 136 | 194 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 84.3% |
| White, Other | 5.5% |
| Unclassified | 4.2% |
| White & Asian | 2.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.2% |
| African | 0.5% |
| Asian, Other | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Inadequate |
| > Quality of education | Inadequate |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Requires Improvement |
| > Leadership & Management | Inadequate |
| Last Report Date | 10 Feb 2025 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 28 Jan 2026 | Monitoring visit |
| 01 Oct 2025 | Monitoring visit |
| 10 Feb 2025 | Full inspection: |
| 26 Feb 2019 | Full inspection: |
Strengths
- Students display high levels of resilience despite current challenges.
- Ambitious curriculum closely aligns with the expectations of the performing arts industry.
- Effective collaboration among students during performance pieces.
- SEND students receive good support tailored to their needs.
- Students engage in meaningful discussions about inclusivity and equality.
Areas for Improvement
- Severe disruption to learning caused by industrial action.
- Students are missing essential tutorial sessions on personal development topics.
- Inadequate feedback provided to students due to part-time teacher availability.
- Broken relationships between staff and leadership affecting morale.
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2019. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school. | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school. | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. | 4 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 8. The school has high expectations for my child. | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
| 9. My child does well at this school. | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 |
| 13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 14. I would recommend this school to another parent. | 19 | 0 |
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