Ormskirk School

Ormskirk School is a secondary comprehensive school with a sixth form and is part of Endeavour Learning Trust. This was its first routine section 5 inspection; its predecessor school had previously been judged inadequate, and the school joined the trust in 2022. Inspectors judged the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision all to be good, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade is given. Pupils are happy and proud to belong to the school, and they benefit from a caring ethos, strong pastoral care and calm, orderly lessons. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, teachers generally deliver it confidently, and pupils typically know and remember their learning well. The sixth form has improved significantly, with a suitable range of subjects and stronger quality than the low 2023 published outcomes suggested. Attendance has improved overall, and careers guidance and personal development are strong. Some improvements are still needed. Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding regularly enough, so misunderstandings and gaps can persist. Support for pupils with SEND is not consistently effective, and some staff lack confidence in making adaptations. Attendance remains too low for some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Published 2023 key stage 4 results reflect historic weaknesses, although current outcomes are improving.

Strengths

• Caring ethos and strong pastoral care help pupils feel happy and proud.
• Pupils behave well, are polite and learn in a calm atmosphere.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious with high academic expectations.
• Teachers deliver subject content confidently and match activities to curriculum aims.
• Pupils generally know and remember their learning well.
• The sixth form has improved significantly, with a suitable subject range and stronger quality.
• Effective reading support helps pupils who struggle to catch up.
• Attendance has improved and persistent absence has decreased.
• Careers guidance helps pupils secure ambitious next steps.
• Personal development covers safety, healthy relationships and diversity well.
• Trustees and the local academy council challenge and support the school effectively.
• Staff are positive and value the professional development on offer.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not check learning regularly enough, allowing gaps and misconceptions to persist.
• Support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent, and some staff lack confidence in making effective adaptations.
• Some pupils with SEND are not achieving as well as they could.
• Attendance remains too low for some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.

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 Ormskirk School attended 88.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 33.4% 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, 10.5% of pupils at Ormskirk 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 Ormskirk School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.7% 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, 15.8% of pupils at Ormskirk School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% 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 Ormskirk School received £8,185 and spent £8,220 for each of its 1,216 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £605,000 (£497 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Endeavour Learning Trust, income was £7,792 and spending £7,806 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 Ormskirk · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Ormskirk School is part of Endeavour Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Burscough Priory Academy Ormskirk
• Linaker Primary School Southport
• Churchtown Primary School Southport
• Tarleton Academy Preston
• Woodlea Junior School Leyland
• Northbrook Primary Academy Leyland
• Wellfield Academy Leyland
• Strike Lane Primary School Preston
• Brindle Gregson Lane Primary School Preston
• Hawes Side Academy Blackpool

What is Ormskirk School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ormskirk School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Ormskirk School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ormskirk School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Ormskirk School have?

Ormskirk School has 1,169 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ormskirk School cover?

Ormskirk School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ormskirk School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.3, and 39% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ormskirk School?

Ormskirk School is at Wigan Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 2AT.