Calderstones School

  • Secondary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 11 to 18
Ofsted: Good

Harthill Road, Allerton, Liverpool, L18 3HSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Calderstones School is a secondary school in Liverpool for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 186 schools in Liverpool. It ranks 14th of 40 secondary schools in Liverpool. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 24 January 2023, report published 8 March 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 January 2023

Diversity is celebrated at this welcoming school. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, are proud to be part of a community where everyone is respected. Pupils told inspectors that 'you can always be yourself here'. Pupils are happy and feel safe at Calderstones. They enjoy learning, and they know that their teachers care about them. Leaders and staff want the best for every pupil. They have raised their expectations of behaviour and learning. Pupils have risen to leaders' challenge. As a result, they behave well and achieve more highly than in the past. Bullying and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated. Leaders deal with any bullying swiftly and effectively. Pupils are confident that staff will take their concerns seriously. Parents and carers, including parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are highly positive about the support that their children receive from staff. Pupils in key stage 3 value the high-quality opportunities that make up the 'experience guarantee'. For example, they enjoy trips to galleries and museums, performing at local music festivals and raising money for 'Caldie', the sponsored guide dog.

What the school should improve

  • In key stages 3 and 4, some teachers do not use effective strategies to revisit prior learning. As a result, some pupils struggle to remember what they learned in the past. This makes subsequent learning difficult. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive the support and guidance they need to help them to address forgotten learning and rectify pupils' misconceptions.
  • Some of the weakest readers, particularly those in key stage 4, do not receive the support that they need in a timely and effective way. This hinders their learning of the curriculum and prevents them from achieving as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the reading interventions they have recently introduced are prioritised to the pupils who need the most help.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

263 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score46.1

46.1, the same as the England average.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths43.3%

43.3%, 2.1 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths65.4%

65.4%, 0.6 percentage points above the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc58.6%

58.6%, 18.1 percentage points above the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score4.25

4.25, 0.16 above the England average of 4.09.

A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25

119 students

Average point score per A level entry32.37

32.37, 2.63 below the England average of 35.00.

Average A level grade C+, England average B-

Pupil numbers and mix

1,592 pupils on roll, with places for 1,543

Eligible for free school meals19.5%

19.5%, 7 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language9.2%

9.2%, 12.4 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support22%

22%, 7.2 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.8%

3.8%, 2.2 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Calderstones School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy0.8 milesOfsted: Requires improvementAttainment 8: 36.7
King David High School0.9 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 54.3
The Blue Coat School0.9 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 79.5
Liverpool College0.9 milesOfsted: OutstandingAttainment 8: 55.1
Childwall Sports & Science Academy1 mileOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 36.2

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
11 to 18
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Lee Ratcliffe
Address
Harthill Road, Allerton, Liverpool, L18 3HS
Local authority
Liverpool
URN
104698

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.