Ofsted: Good trending_up Places Available emoji_events #28 in Liverpool public Top 45% UK

The Academy of St Nicholas

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Gary Lloyd

corporate_fareTHE LIVERPOOL JOINT CATHOLIC AND CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMIES TRUST

location_onLiverpool, L19 5NY

language Visit Website phone 1512302570

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2022

groups

Students

901

trending_up

Attainment 8

29.4

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GCSE Rank

#28 in Liverpool

#3,186 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

The Academy of St Nicholas is a Academy sponsor led secondary school in Liverpool, serving ages 11-19. Rated Good by Ofsted.

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School Summary

The Academy of St Nicholas is an academy sponsor led in Liverpool, admitting pupils aged 11-19. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of THE LIVERPOOL JOINT CATHOLIC AND CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMIES TRUST. The school has approximately 924 pupils on roll, of whom 57% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 29.4, placing the school #28 in Liverpool and #3,186 of 3,216 nationally. 20.20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 5.3% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 16 A-level subjects. 21.1% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 8.3% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.53 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2022. The school's current overall rating is Good. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.3× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 15.8:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 3 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 25.7 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

29.4

Grade 5+ E&M

20.20%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)5.3%

Entering EBacc14.00%

EBacc APS2.37

2024

Progress 8 Score

-1.27

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

27.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc40.40%

EBacc APS2.4

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.84

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

30.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc28%

EBacc APS2.35

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.32

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc4%

EBacc APS2.86

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc3%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.94

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

32.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc2%

EBacc APS2.38

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.76

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc9%

EBacc APS2.35

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

82%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)77%

Apprenticeships0%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)15%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

88%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)84%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)12%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

84%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)78%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)14%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)88%

Apprenticeships0%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)9%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)83%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment7%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.53

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*0.9%

Achieving A*–A8.3%

Achieving A*–B21.1%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate90.0%

A-level subjects offered16

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.94

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

E+

Students

Retention rate91.10%

2023

Avg Grade

D-

Students

Retention rate90.50%

2022

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate85.0%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

06 December 2022

Inspection Report

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30 March 2022

Inspection Report

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08 May 2019

Inspection Report

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08 November 2016

Inspection Report

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24 May 2016

Inspection Report

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09 December 2015

Inspection Report

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09 July 2015

Inspection Report

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09 March 2015

Inspection Report

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16 December 2014

Inspection Report

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30 September 2014

Inspection Report

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09 October 2012

Inspection Report

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03 November 2011

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

6 Evaluations

2022-12-06

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2 EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2019-05-08

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2016-11-08

None Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2016-05-24

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2015-12-09

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2014-09-30

None Legacy

Inadequate

Education

Inadequate

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

Inadequate

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

20.1%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

9.4%(87 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 924 pupils. During this period, there were 186 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 20.1%, which is above the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	924	186	20.1%	7.3%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	925	290	31.4%	7.8%	2
2023/24 (Summer term)	930	153	16.5%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	968	194	20.0%	7.1%	3
2023/24 (Autumn term)	980	190	19.4%	8.2%	3
2022/23 (Summer term)	887	119	13.4%	6.6%	2
2022/23 (Spring term)	901	125	13.9%	6.4%	6
2022/23 (Autumn term)	919	88	9.6%	5.9%	1
2021/22 (Summer term)	844	51	6.0%	4.7%	4
2021/22 (Spring term)	848	73	8.6%	4.9%	2
2021/22 (Autumn term)	803	65	8.1%	4.4%	1
2020/21 (Summer term)	816	48	5.9%	3.6%	2
2020/21 (Spring term)	825	0	0.0%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	821	53	6.5%	3.9%	3
2019/20 (Summer term)	787	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	787	62	7.9%	3.2%	1
2019/20 (Autumn term)	798	102	12.8%	4.2%	5
2018/19 (Summer term)	728	51	7.0%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	729	56	7.7%	3.8%	2
2018/19 (Autumn term)	728	55	7.6%	3.8%	2
2017/18 (Summer term)	754	26	3.4%	3.4%	2
2017/18 (Spring term)	765	50	6.5%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	778	89	11.4%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	730	25	3.4%	3.0%	2
2016/17 (Spring term)	742	64	8.6%	3.3%	2
2016/17 (Autumn term)	764	29	3.8%	3.1%	7

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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psychology_alt

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 78 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 60 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 32 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 27 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 27 pupils

Physical Disability 5 pupils

Visual Impairment 4 pupils

Hearing Impairment 3 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 1 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

53.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

60.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

10.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree3%

agree30%

disagree33%

strongly disagree30%

don't know3%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree17%

agree13%

disagree37%

strongly disagree27%

don't know7%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree23%

agree7%

disagree27%

strongly disagree30%

not applicable13%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes50%

no50%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree7%

agree27%

disagree33%

strongly disagree33%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree33%

agree40%

disagree13%

strongly disagree10%

don't know3%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree23%

agree37%

disagree13%

strongly disagree17%

don't know10%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree17%

agree40%

disagree20%

strongly disagree23%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree23%

agree40%

disagree23%

strongly disagree3%

don't know10%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree13%

agree53%

disagree13%

strongly disagree10%

don't know10%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree13%

agree23%

disagree37%

strongly disagree20%

don't know7%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes40%

no60%

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Faith Priority (Roman Catholic/Church of England)

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Liverpool

The Blue Coat School

Liverpool College

The Belvedere Academy

King David High School

St Edward's College

St Hilda's Church of England High School