Birkdale High School
Academy converter · 936 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.9
Academy sponsor led
The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco
- Pupils on roll
- 575of 600 places
- Free school meals
- 52.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 75
- Ofsted
- Report card, 3 February 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Needs attentionAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Needs attentionPersonal development and wellbeing Needs attentionInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Not applicableSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Savio Salesian College (URN 104959, until 31 December 2022).
What the data says
The Department for Education has not published where The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco’s Year 11 leavers went next, so this page relies on the school’s results and subjects.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 32.2 against 46.1 across England and 42.9 in Sefton, with 19% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 21% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.
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).
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Sefton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 32.2 | 42.9 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 19% | 40% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 33% | 60% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 16% | 38% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.55 | 3.70 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 60% | 30% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 27.6 | 31.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 39.0 | 47.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 21% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 72 | 96% | 89% | 7% | 20% | 43% |
| Mathematics | 72 | 96% | 88% | 6% | 22% | 38% |
| English Literature | 64 | 85% | 86% | 9% | 21% | 56% |
| Combined Science | 63 | 84% | 65% | 3% | 9% | 35% |
| Religious Studies | 56 | 75% | 31% | 14% | 32% | 48% |
| Spanish | 30 | 40% | 19% | 33% | 27% | 70% |
| History | 19 | 25% | 41% | 21% | 26% | 47% |
| Geography | 19 | 25% | 41% | 5% | 25% | 37% |
| Art and Design | 16 | 21% | 7% | 0% | 24% | 6% |
| Drama | 13 | 17% | 7% | 8% | 27% | 100% |
| Italian | 4 | 5% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 31 | — | — |
| Small Business Management | 29 | — | — |
| Sports Coaching | 17 | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | 14 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 6 | — | — |
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.