Merefield School
Merefield School is an academy special converter in Southport for pupils aged 3 to 19. It has 116 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Merefield School is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2025 of its predecessor, Merefield School.
Ofsted inspection: October 2025.
| Type | Special School / Academy special converter |
| Age Range | 3-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Westminster Drive Southport Merseyside PR8 2QZ |
| Reference Number | 152092 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 116 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 75%
Girls: 25% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 59.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 9.5% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 10 | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| 11 | 12 | 1 | 13 |
| 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 13 | 2 | Unknown | 2 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 81.9% |
| White, Other | 5.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.6% |
| Asian, Other | 1.7% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.9% |
| Indian | 0.9% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.9% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Merefield School, inspected in February 2025.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Outstanding |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 03 Oct 2025 | Academy conversion letter |
Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Further Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > School Sixth Form | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Sixth Form College | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Other Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Apprenticeships | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Not in education or employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Unknown | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
In 2025–26 Merefield School had 7.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6).
Pupils per teacher
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 2.0 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – |
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 Merefield School had 116 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).
It says it provides for: severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; autistic spectrum disorder.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 58 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 37 |
| Profound and multiple learning difficulty | 16 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 2 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 2 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 1 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Shoreside Primary School
Westminster Drive, Ainsdale, Southport, PR8 2QZ |
0.16 miles |
|
Kings Meadow Primary School and Early Years Education Centre
Meadow Lane, Ainsdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3RS |
0.66 miles |
|
Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School
Sandbrook Road, Ainsdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3JE |
0.69 miles |
|
Farnborough Road Junior School
Farnborough Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3DF |
1.92 miles |
|
Farnborough Road Infant School
Farnborough Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3DF |
1.92 miles |
|
Trinity St Peter's CofE Primary School
Paradise Lane, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 7EJ |
2.14 miles |
|
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
Grantham Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 4LT |
2.22 miles |
|
Freshfield Primary School
Watchyard Lane, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 3JT |
2.41 miles |
|
Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School
Bull Cop, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 8BZ |
2.84 miles |
|
Birkdale Primary School
Matlock Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 4EL |
2.93 miles |
|
Woodlands Primary School
Woodlands Road, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 2JN |
3.12 miles |
|
Redgate Community Primary School
Redgate, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 4EW |
3.17 miles |
|
St Jerome's Catholic Primary School
Greenloons Drive, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 2LX |
3.28 miles |
|
Linaker Primary School
Sefton Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 5DB |
3.34 miles |
|
St Luke's Church of England Primary School
Jubilee Road, Formby, Merseyside, L37 2HW |
3.5 miles |
|
Kew Woods Primary School
Ovington Drive, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6JW |
3.7 miles |
|
St Philip's Church of England Primary School
Hampton Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6SS |
3.82 miles |
|
Halsall St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School
New Street, Halsall, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 8RR |
3.95 miles |
|
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Southport
Manchester Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9AZ |
4.17 miles |
|
Educ8 Southport
197a Sussex Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6DG |
4.3 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Birkdale High School
Windy Harbour Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3DT |
1.41 miles |
|
Greenbank High School
Hastings Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2LT |
1.91 miles |
|
Formby High School
Freshfield Road, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 3HW |
2.67 miles |
|
Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Stamford Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 4EX |
2.75 miles |
|
Range High School
Stapleton Road, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 2YN |
3.9 miles |
|
Southport Education Group
Mornington Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0TT |
4.06 miles |
|
Meols Cop High School
Meols Cop Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6JS |
4.15 miles |
All schools in Southport · Sefton local authority: places and applications
Merefield School is part of Southport Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:
- Birkdale High School Southport
- Greenbank High School Southport
- Kew Woods Primary School Southport
- Range High School Liverpool
- Meols Cop High School Southport
- Stanley High School Southport
- Maghull High School Liverpool
- Bedford Primary School Liverpool
What is Merefield School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Merefield School is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2025 of its predecessor, Merefield School.
When was Merefield School last inspected by Ofsted?
Merefield School was last inspected in October 2025.
How many pupils does Merefield School have?
Merefield School has 116 pupils on roll.
What age range does Merefield School cover?
Merefield School for pupils aged 3 to 19.
Where is Merefield School?
Merefield School is at Westminster Drive, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2QZ.