Birkdale High School
Academy converter · 936 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.9
Other independent school · independent
St. Mary's College
- Pupils on roll
- 818of 1,175 places
- Free school meals
- —
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 86
- Ofsted
- Not covered by Ofsted school inspections
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Mary's Preparatory School (URN 132805).
What the data says
The Department for Education has not published where St. Mary's College’s Year 11 leavers went next (destination measures are not published for independent schools), so this page relies on the school’s results and subjects.
Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 34% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.
A level grades average C+, below the England average of B-. The largest A level subjects are Religious Studies, Business Studies and Mathematics.
77% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE in 2025 (England 45%). Attainment 8 is not comparable for independent schools, which often enter pupils for IGCSEs that the Department for Education does not count.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Sefton and England.
The Department for Education has not published destination figures for this school (new school, small cohort or not a state-funded school).
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | St. Mary's College | Sefton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 63.3 | 42.9 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 77% | 40% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 95% | 60% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 52% | 38% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.51 | 3.70 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | — | 30% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | — | 31.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | — | 47.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | — | 7% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 86 | 100% | 88% | 34% | 22% | 97% |
| English Language | 86 | 100% | 89% | 34% | 20% | 97% |
| English Literature | 86 | 100% | 86% | 43% | 21% | 95% |
| Religious Studies | 86 | 100% | 31% | 66% | 32% | 98% |
| History | 46 | 53% | 41% | 24% | 26% | 80% |
| Biology | 43 | 50% | 23% | 53% | 45% | 100% |
| Classical Civilisation | 43 | 50% | 1% | 42% | 40% | 88% |
| Physics | 43 | 50% | 23% | 49% | 46% | 100% |
| Combined Science | 43 | 50% | 65% | 23% | 9% | 95% |
| Chemistry | 43 | 50% | 23% | 42% | 47% | 95% |
| Spanish | 36 | 42% | 19% | 28% | 27% | 86% |
| Design and Technology | 34 | 40% | 11% | 26% | 23% | 88% |
| Art and Design | 29 | 34% | 7% | 55% | 24% | 100% |
| Physical Education | 23 | 27% | 11% | 9% | 24% | 91% |
| French | 15 | 17% | 18% | 40% | 29% | 80% |
| Geography | 15 | 17% | 41% | 40% | 25% | 87% |
| German | 14 | 16% | 5% | 21% | 33% | 71% |
| Computer Science | 14 | 16% | 13% | 29% | 30% | 86% |
| Music | 13 | 15% | 5% | 69% | 33% | 92% |
| Latin | 7 | 8% | 1% | 43% | 74% | 100% |
| Russian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | St. Mary's College | Sefton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 81 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 45 | 897 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 32.81 | 29.93 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | C | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 14% | 9% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Studies | 12 | 27% | 4% |
| Business Studies | 12 | 27% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 10 | 22% | 31% |
| Psychology | 10 | 22% | 23% |
| History | 10 | 22% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 9 | 20% | 17% |
| Physical Education | 8 | 18% | 3% |
| Geography | 8 | 18% | 10% |
| Classical Civilisation | 7 | 16% | 1% |
| Biology | 7 | 16% | 20% |
| English Literature | 6 | 13% | 11% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| Chinese | — | — | 0% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Latin | — | — | 0% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 17 | 38% | — |
Other secondary schools in Sefton
Chesterfield High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,692 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.4
Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Voluntary aided school · sixth form · 822 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.8
Deyes High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,336 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.8
Formby High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,157 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.3
Greenbank High School
Academy converter · 1,025 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.6
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.