Best secondary schools in Liverpool: A complete 2026 guide

Liverpool families have a wide range of secondary schools to choose from, including long-established independents, a single state-funded selective school, faith schools with a strong local following and well-regarded comprehensives. The city has changed significantly in recent decades, and the secondary school landscape has changed with it.

This guide groups Liverpool's best-known secondaries into three clear categories so you can compare similar schools side by side. The aim is to help parents understand the range of options rather than rank schools against each other. Different children flourish in very different settings.

Use this as a starting point and pair it with up-to-date Ofsted reports and a real visit to each school. League tables and reputations only go so far.

The schools below were chosen because they are widely known in Liverpool, have a long-standing presence in the city and represent different parts of the secondary landscape. Some are academically selective, some are faith-based, some are non-selective comprehensives, and one is a fully independent foundation.

No invented data appears in this article. For up-to-date results, look at the Department for Education's compare-school-performance service. For inspection narrative, look at the most recent Ofsted report on each school's website.

For fee-paying schools, bursaries are often available and can change the conversation about affordability. Always check the school's own admissions pages for current details.

Merchant Taylors' is a long-established independent foundation in Crosby, just north of Liverpool. From September 2025, the boys' and girls' schools merged into a single co-educational Merchant Taylors' School covering the full secondary age range, and the foundation serves families from across Merseyside and beyond.

The school has a strong academic record at GCSE and A-level, and the now fully co-educational structure gives students access to a wide range of A-levels and joint provision across sport, music and drama. Combined cadet activities and a broad co-curricular programme are well embedded.

Entry is by examination and interview at the standard 11+ and 16+ points, with smaller intakes elsewhere. Bursaries and scholarships are available.

St Mary's College in Crosby is an independent Catholic day school in the Christian Brothers tradition, taking pupils across the full secondary age range and into a sixth form. It is fee-paying and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

The school offers a broad curriculum alongside a strong programme of sport, music and outreach, with leavers progressing to a wide set of universities. Pastoral support and the school's Catholic foundation are recurring themes in parent feedback, and the school is a regular comparator for families looking at the independent sector in north Liverpool and Sefton.

Entry is by assessment and interview at the standard entry points. Fees, bursary and scholarship details are published on the school's own website and worth reviewing well in advance of applying.

Liverpool does not have a traditional state grammar school system. The city does, however, contain one of the very few fully selective state schools left in Merseyside, The Blue Coat School in Wavertree. It is covered in the state schools section below because, while it is selective by ability, it is a state-funded school rather than a private one.

There are no other state grammar schools in the city. Families specifically wanting a selective state education usually focus on The Blue Coat School or look at independent options. If you want a non-selective alternative with a strong academic ethos, several of the state academies and faith schools listed below would also be worth visiting.

It is worth noting that nearby Cheshire and Wirral both have some long-standing state grammars, but those sit under different local authorities and would mean a significant daily commute from Liverpool.

The Blue Coat School in Wavertree is Liverpool's only fully selective state secondary and one of very few state grammars left in Merseyside. It admits boys and girls from Year 7, with a mixed sixth form, and serves a wide catchment across the city and surrounding boroughs.

Entry is by the school's own entrance examination, typically sat in the autumn term of Year 6. Performance at GCSE and A-level tends to be strong, and many sixth formers go on to Russell Group universities and Oxbridge.

Because it is the only selective state secondary in the city, demand for places is very high. Families considering Blue Coat should familiarise themselves with the test format in good time and look at the school's own published admissions information.

Liverpool College is an all-through state-funded school in Mossley Hill that converted from independent status to become a free school. It now provides education from nursery through to sixth form on a single campus.

The school is non-selective at entry but has a strong academic ethos rooted in its independent heritage. Sport, music and a wide co-curricular programme are central to its offer, and the sixth form provides a broad range of A-level options.

Demand for places is high. Families thinking about Liverpool College should look closely at how distance criteria and sibling links apply, and consider visiting more than once before applying.

Belvedere Academy in Toxteth is a state-funded academy for girls that previously operated as an independent school. It retains a strongly academic ethos and serves a diverse intake from across the city.

The academy has built a strong post-16 record, with many pupils progressing to competitive universities and apprenticeship routes. Pastoral support and a focus on aspiration are themes that come up consistently in parent feedback.

Admissions are based primarily on distance and sibling priority, with a small number of places allocated through other criteria as set out in the school's published admissions policy.

Calderstones School in south Liverpool is one of the largest state secondary schools in the city and serves a wide local catchment. It has a strong tradition in sport, performing arts and outreach across the local community.

The school's size means it can run a particularly broad GCSE and post-16 curriculum, including options that smaller schools may struggle to staff. Pastoral structures are organised to keep year groups well known within the wider school.

Admissions are based on the standard local authority criteria, with distance from the school being a significant factor in oversubscription decisions.

Childwall Sports and Science Academy is a large state secondary in the Childwall area of south-east Liverpool. It is non-selective and has a particular curriculum focus reflected in its name, with sport and science specialisms feeding into a broad GCSE option range.

The academy offers a substantial sixth form and a strong enrichment programme, including links with local sports clubs and science outreach. Pastoral support is organised across year-group teams.

Admissions are based on standard local authority criteria. Distance from the school is a significant factor in oversubscription, so families should look at recent published offer distances.

Archbishop Blanch is a Church of England state secondary school for girls in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool. It has a long-established reputation as one of the more heavily oversubscribed faith schools in the city.

The school combines a clear Christian ethos with a strong academic focus and a busy programme of music, drama and community work. The sixth form, run with partner schools, broadens post-16 options.

Faith-based admissions criteria are detailed, so families intending to apply should read the supplementary information form carefully and start gathering evidence of regular church attendance well in advance.

There is no objectively best school, only the school that fits your child and your circumstances. Some children thrive in selective environments and find a strong academic peer group motivating. Others find that pressure punishing and do better in a non-selective school with a broader mix.

Think about how your child handles change, how they socialise, and what they say when you ask them about secondary school. Their views are not the deciding factor, but they matter. A child who feels heard during the decision often settles in more easily.

Do not overlook practical detail. A 45-minute commute by two buses tends to be wearing by Year 8. Friendship groups, travel costs and after-school activities all shape how good the daily experience actually is.

Liverpool City Council coordinates secondary admissions for families living in the city. The application deadline is 31 October in Year 6, and offers are issued on the national offer day in early March.

Families can list up to a set number of preferences on the application. Ranking matters because it decides which school you are offered if you qualify for several. Listing more preferences does not reduce your chance of getting your first choice.

The Blue Coat School's selective entrance test runs on its own timetable in the autumn of Year 6, and families must apply separately to sit the test as well as listing the school on the local authority preference form. Faith schools require a supplementary information form, and independent schools have their own application processes with earlier deadlines.