Hillside High School
Breeze Hill, Bootle, L20 9NUOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Hillside High School is a secondary school in Bootle for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 113 schools in Sefton. It ranks 11th of 17 secondary schools in Sefton. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 19 September 2023, report published 17 October 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 19 September 2023
Hillside High School is an accepting community. Pupils feel welcome and diversity is celebrated. For instance, pupils proudly took part in an 'around the world in eighty days' event to promote their culture and educate others about it. Pupils benefit from high levels of pastoral support. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm. Pupils understand that staff only want the best for them. The trust has supported the school to raise expectations of pupils' achievement. In addition, the school has improved the curriculum. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve better than they did in the past. The school has set out clearly in 'the Hillside way' how pupils should behave. Pupils value the routines that the school has put in place to help them to conduct themselves appropriately. Pupils behave well and are respectful. Pupils are happy at this school. They appreciate the safe space that the school provides for them to be individuals. Pupils enjoy the breadth of clubs and opportunities that are on offer, including sports and performing art clubs.
What the school should improve
- In a small number of subjects, the key stage 4 curriculum is not as well thought out as the key stage 3 curriculum. This hinders some teachers in knowing what they should teach and when they should teach it. As a result, some pupils do not make links with what they have learned previously. The school should finalise its thinking around the key stage 4 curriculum, to help ensure that key knowledge is identified and that it builds on the strengths of the key stage 3 curriculum.
- On occasions, teachers do not make the most appropriate teaching or activity choices to embed new knowledge. This hinders some pupils from remembering what they have learned. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to design activities that help pupils to secure learning over time.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
130 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
785 pupils on roll, with places for 921
Schools near Hillside High School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alsop High School | 0.5 miles | Report card: Urgent improvement to needs attention | Attainment 8: 28.2 |
| King's Leadership Academy Hawthornes | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 32.2 |
| Archbishop Beck Catholic College | 1 mile | Report card: Needs attention to strong standard | Attainment 8: 41.5 |
| Notre Dame Catholic Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Attainment 8: 31.0 |
| North Liverpool Academy | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard | Attainment 8: 45.6 |
School details
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WADE DEACON TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Amanda Ryan
- Phone
- 01515252630
- Address
- Breeze Hill, Bootle, L20 9NU
- Local authority
- Sefton
- URN
- 141693
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.