Head: Kevin Sexton
An accessible co-educational grammar school in Liverpool with a Good Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
Pass Mark
0
Pupils
Max Score
282
Qualifying Score
220
78% of max
Cutoff Score
220
78% of max
Applications
492
Offers Made
178
Catchment, then Score
Catchment area students get priority. Within catchment, places by test score.
Located in Wavertree, Liverpool. Admissions coordinated through the Liverpool local authority. Priority given to pupils within the Liverpool local authority area.
Local Authorities
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
Waiting List
Should a vacancy arise within Year 7 during the Autumn term, the Local Authority and The Blue Coat School work in partnership to offer the vacancy to the candidate with the next highest score on the Entrance Test. From the start of the Spring Term, The Blue Coat School will hold a general waiting list for Year 7 in rank order of the original test.
1. Register
1 May 2026
2. Take Test
Wirral 11+
3. Results
19 Oct 2026
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
A shared 11+ entrance exam used by 7 grammar schools, administered by GL Assessment, testing English, Mathematics. Two GL Assessment papers. Max score: 282 (2 × 141). Switched from CEM to GL in 2021.
Max
282
Qualifying Score
220
78% of max
Registration Opens
Registration opens for the 11+ exam
1 May 2026
Registration Deadline
Final day to register for the 11+ exam
15 Jul 2026
Exam Date
11+ entrance exam
19 Sep 2026
9:00am
Results Released
11+ results released to parents
19 Oct 2026
CAF Deadline
Common Application Form deadline (all LAs)
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day — places confirmed
1 Mar 2027
79.4
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
98%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
99%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
96%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
7.79
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
A-
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
| Metric | Disadvantaged | Non-Disadvantaged | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 70.8 | 81.2 | +10 |
| E+M grade 5+ | 93% | 99% | +5pp |
| EBacc entry | 87% | 98% | +11pp |
Disadvantaged = pupils eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years, looked-after, or adopted from care. A small or zero gap is the goal — it means the school helps every pupil reach the same outcomes.
98%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
DfE breakdown, 2024/25
Eng+Maths 9-5
EBacc entry
47.3avg points / entry
Average grade: A-
DfE doesn't publish the % at each grade band at school level — this is the school-wide average instead.
77%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
75%
Higher Education
+7pp vs grammar avg
56%
Russell Group
Cohort destination breakdown
Destinations trend
Strongest at
English Language
176 entries
100%
+1.2pp vs school
Spanish
131 entries
100%
+1.2pp vs school
Geography
98 entries
100%
+1.2pp vs school
Watch list
Food Preparation & Nutrition
27 entries
96%
-2.5pp vs school
Physical Education
28 entries
96%
-2.4pp vs school
Strongest at
Maths
136 entries
100%
+11.9pp vs school
Chemistry
98 entries
100%
+11.9pp vs school
Biology
77 entries
100%
+11.9pp vs school
Watch list
Fine Art
5 entries
0%
-88.1pp vs school
English language and literature
5 entries
0%
-88.1pp vs school
Entry Requirements
Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 6 or above including English and Mathematics. Specific subjects require grade 7 or above in that subject. Students must meet the school's academic and behavioural standards.
Subjects Offered
Largest group: Asian (48.6%)
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 12 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 2 pts above the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form
Good
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £291 (-4%) below the English average
Most English state secondaries spend 75–80% of their budget on staff. Higher figures usually mean smaller class sizes; lower figures mean more spent on premises, supplies, or capital projects.
£3,766
Teaching Staff / pupil
£630
Educational Supplies / pupil
£342
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£388
The school holds a surplus per pupil — money set aside that can absorb unexpected costs or fund future projects without affecting day-to-day teaching.
Total grant: £6,171,750 · 901 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£5,137,222
Core per-pupil funding before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£170,925
Targeted funding for 159 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£552,090
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£33,572
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£1,352
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£104,096
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£145,270
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£59,664
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£76,502
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,248 / 1,300(96%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 6 or above including English and Mathematics. Specific subjects require grade 7 or above in that subject. Students must meet the school's academic and behavioural standards.
1:18.3
Staff:Pupil Ratio
100%
Qualified Teachers
2.62%
Absence Rate
3.16%
Persistent Absence
The Blue Coat School features modern teaching facilities across multiple buildings including the main school building, sixth form centre, sports hall, dining hall, and extensive outdoor spaces. The school has undergone significant development with new facilities added over recent years.
Sports
Sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor tennis courts, playing fields for rugby and football, athletics track, and various outdoor sports areas. The school has extensive grounds for outdoor sports and PE activities.
STEM
Dedicated science laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology, computer suites with modern IT equipment, design and technology workshops, and mathematics classrooms equipped with interactive technology.
Arts
Drama studio and performance spaces, music practice rooms and ensemble spaces, art studios and workshops, and facilities for creative subjects including design and media studies.
Library
School library with study areas, extensive book collection, digital resources, and quiet study spaces for students. The library supports both curriculum study and independent research.
Capital Projects
Recent developments include refurbishment of science laboratories, upgrades to IT infrastructure, improvements to sports facilities, and ongoing maintenance and enhancement of teaching spaces.
Music and Performing Arts: Choirs, orchestras, ensembles, drama productions, and instrumental tuition. Sporting Activities: Competitive teams in football, netball, cricket, athletics, and more. STEM and Academic Enrichment: Maths Challenges, Science Clubs, Debate Club, and participation in national competitions and Olympiads. Community and Leadership: Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, student leadership councils, peer mentoring, and charity initiatives.
Sports
Music & Performing Arts
Choirs, orchestras, ensembles, drama productions, and instrumental tuition
Clubs & Societies
Duke of Edinburgh
true
Trips & Exchanges
trips and visits, Year 7 residential trip to Conway Centre, Anglesey
Community Service
charity initiatives
Uniform
All students will be required to wear our school uniform. The Blue Coat School is gender neutral. Students can choose whether to wear trousers or skirts. Our uniform is non gender specific. The school uniform must be worn at all times in school, as well as on the journey to and from school, and blazers must always be worn inside the school building.
School Meals
School cafeteria serves hot and cold meals daily. Cashless payment system. Free school meals available for eligible students. Students may bring packed lunches. Lunch period is 45 minutes.
Homework Policy
Years 7-8: 1-1.5 hours per night. Years 9-11: 2-2.5 hours per night. Sixth Form: independent study expected. Homework timetabled across subjects to ensure even distribution throughout the week.
Behaviour Policy
The Blue Coat School sets high standards and expectations for our students as we play our role in preparing them for their future. All students are expected to take responsibility for their own behaviour and appearance. We foster an environment of mutual respect and courtesy amongst our students and between students and all staff in the Blue Coat community.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones must not be seen or used in school. Headphones/earphones, mobiles and other similar electronic devices must not be used around the site at any time.
SEND Provision
Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Centre of Excellence Award holder as of July 2025
Enter your postcode to see directions to Blue Coat
["Routes from Rochdale, Shaw, Royton, Chadderton, and surrounding areas"]
Nearest Station: Oldham Mumps
Transport Info
Located in Wavertree, Liverpool, with good public transport connections to the city center and surrounding areas.
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