Dixons Fazakerley Academy

Dixons Fazakerley Academy is in a state of requires improvement, as it faces significant challenges across key areas, including the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. While the school has made strides towards improvement since it became an academy in 2021, many pupils still do not achieve as highly as expected, particularly due to inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and ongoing absenteeism. There is a recognition of positive changes, particularly in behaviour, which has improved, allowing for a safer and more respectful school environment. However, some pupils continue to struggle with derogatory language and bullying despite the school's efforts to address these issues.

Strengths

• Recent improvements in school behaviour have contributed to a safer environment.
• The school has a strong emphasis on reading and supports pupils who struggle with it.
• There is a well-considered careers programme providing various opportunities for students.
• The trust has raised expectations for pupils’ achievement.
• Pupils enjoy participating in extracurricular activities, including a vibrant LGBTQ+ group.

Areas for Improvement

• Many pupils do not benefit fully from curriculum improvements.
• Some staff do not deliver the curriculum effectively, hindering pupils' learning.
• The progress of older pupils is hampered by previous weaknesses in the curriculum.
• There is a high proportion of persistent absenteeism, particularly among disadvantaged pupils.
• A minority of pupils experience derogatory language and lack full confidence in reporting it.

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 Dixons Fazakerley Academy attended 83.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 45.0% 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, 34.0% of pupils at Dixons Fazakerley Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 12 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 Dixons Fazakerley Academy had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.7% 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, 24.0% of pupils at Dixons Fazakerley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% 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 Dixons Fazakerley Academy received £10,193 and spent £10,041 for each of its 808 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £504,000 (£623 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Dixons Academies Trust, income was £8,572 and spending £8,488 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 Liverpool · Liverpool local authority: places and applications

Dixons Fazakerley Academy is part of Dixons Academies Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Dixons Croxteth Academy Liverpool
• Dixons Broadgreen Academy Liverpool
• Dixons Brooklands Academy Manchester
• Dixons Newall Green Academy Manchester
• Dixons Middleton Academy Manchester
• Dixons Ashton Academy Ashton-Under-Lyne
• Dixons Silver Springs Primary Stalybridge
• Dixons Pennine Academy Stalybridge
• Dixons Allerton Academy Bradford
• Dixons Kings Academy Bradford

What is Dixons Fazakerley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dixons Fazakerley Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Dixons Fazakerley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Dixons Fazakerley Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Dixons Fazakerley Academy have?

Dixons Fazakerley Academy has 737 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dixons Fazakerley Academy cover?

Dixons Fazakerley Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Dixons Fazakerley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 35.9, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Dixons Fazakerley Academy?

Dixons Fazakerley Academy is at Sherwoods Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool, Merseyside, L10 1LB.