SCHOOL PROFILE

Presfield High School and Specialist College

Not applicable Community special school URN 104977
Open
Pupils 8,834,192 Latest school census
Capacity 88 Published school capacity
Capacity used 150.0% Pupils as a share of capacity
Age range 11 – 19 Statutory age range
OFSTED

Latest ungraded inspection

27 September 2023
Latest published outcome School remains Good
SCHOOL DETAILS

About this school

School type Community special school
Phase Not applicable
Gender Mixed
Religious character Does not apply
Local authority Sefton
Trust Not applicable
Census date 15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE

School community

Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.

2025/26
Total pupils 132 132 full-time · 0 part-time
Female pupils 32 24.2% of pupils
Male pupils 100 75.8% of pupils

Free school meals

Pupils eligible for free school meals.

33.3%
8.5 pts above England
School 33.3%
Sefton 26.0%
North West 28.5%
England 24.8%

English as an additional language

Pupils whose first language is not English.

3.8%
16.5 pts below England
School 3.8%
Sefton 8.2%
North West 18.1%
England 20.3%

Young carers

Pupils recorded as young carers.

1.5%
0.5 pts above England
School 1.5%
Sefton 1.3%
North West 0.8%
England 1.0%

Ethnicity

Largest recorded pupil groups.

White British
91.7%
121
Any other White background
3.0%
4
Any other Mixed background
2.3%
3
Any other ethnic group
0.8%
1
Caribbean
0.8%
1
Indian
0.8%
1
Council, regional and national comparisons are pupil-weighted using published school census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS

Special educational needs

Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.

2025/26
Pupils with SEN 100.0% 132 of 132 pupils
79.2 pts above England England: 20.8%
School 100.0%
Sefton 24.0%
North West 22.1%
England 20.8%
SEN support 0.0% 0 pupils
England 14.8% 14.8 pts below
EHC plans 100.0% 132 pupils
England 6.0% 94.0 pts above
PRIMARY NEEDS

Most common identified needs

Pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder 122
Speech, language & communication 5
Social, emotional & mental health 4
Other difficulty or disability 1

SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Key stage 4 outcomes

Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.

2024/25
ATTAINMENT 8

Average attainment score

16.1 23.1 pts below England
School 16.1
Sefton 35.6
North West 37.7
England 39.2
English & maths grade 5+ 15.0% England 36.0% 21.0 pts below England
English & maths grade 4+ 35.0% England 51.4% 16.4 pts below England
EBacc entry 0.0% England 30.6% 30.6 pts below England
EBacc average point score 0.36 England 3.41
Progress 8 Not available for 2024/25

Latest published: -1.63 · 2023/24

Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.

ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE

Attendance profile

Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.

2024/25
ABSENCE RATE

Overall absence

11.35%

Percentage of possible sessions missed.

5.13 pts higher than England
School 11.35%
Sefton 6.89%
North West 6.25%
England 6.22%
ABSENCE RATE

Persistent absence

34.74%

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

18.92 pts higher than England
School 34.74%
Sefton 18.13%
North West 15.89%
England 15.82%
ABSENCE RATE

Severe absence

5.26%

Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.

3.46 pts higher than England
School 5.26%
Sefton 2.08%
North West 1.75%
England 1.80%
Council, regional and national comparisons are averages of published school-level percentages rather than pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

School context

Comparison with open not applicable schools.

CAPACITY

Capacity utilisation

150.0% 70.2 pts above England
Presfield High School and Specialist College
150.0%
Sefton
74.4%
North West
82.4%
England
79.8%
Benchmarks use open schools in the same phase. Capacity utilisation is calculated from published pupil and capacity figures.
Sources: Department for Education · Get Information about Schools · Ofsted monthly management information