Finch Woods Academy

Special academy · All-through, ages 9 to 16 · Mixed

Part of MANOR HALL ACADEMY TRUST

Bailey's Lane, Halewood, Liverpool, L26 0TY

0151 294 2707 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card1 strong, 5 expectedSafeguarding met · 10 March 2026
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils88Room for 92 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 77 in 2019, 82 in 2021, 82 in 2022, 88 in 2023, 82 in 2024, 82 in 2025, 88 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals84%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 10 March 2026 , published 21 May 2026.

In short: 1 strong, 5 expected, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

9 pupils in this year group.

Only 9 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.

0% — 61 points below the Knowsley average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolKnowsleyEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 61% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 6% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 11% 74% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 70% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 74% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 98 105 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 91 104 105

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time

2022/232023/242024/25
Not publishedNot published0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

20 pupils in this year group.

0% — 25 points below the Knowsley average, and 45 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolKnowsleyEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 0% 25% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 1.8 34.4 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 0.1 2.9 4.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 45% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

25 pupils in this year group.

44% — 38 points below the Knowsley average, and 48 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolKnowsleyEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 44% 82% 92%
School sixth form 4% 6% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 13% 13%
Further education college 32% 50% 37%
Apprenticeship 4% 6% 3%
Work 0% 3% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
61%44%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Knowsley. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Knowsley

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Social, emotional and mental health needs.

PupilsThis schoolKnowsleyEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 90.2% 65.3%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 100.0%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.0%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 0.0% 2.5%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 35.2% 13.4%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 75.5% 36.6%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 131.7 16.4 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 50.0% 7.5% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.13% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 5.6 7.1 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.9 2.9 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 27.8% 12.8%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Finch Woods Academy's Ofsted rating?

Finch Woods Academy was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 10 March 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 1 strong, 5 expected, and safeguarding was met.

How did Finch Woods Academy do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 45 points below the England average of 45%.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.