SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

Palmerston School

Special school · Secondary, ages 11 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form

Minehead Road, Aigburth, Liverpool, L17 6AU

0151 428 2128 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 18 March 2015; confirmed 2025
Pupils184Room for 175
Free school meals46%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 18 March 2015.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationOutstanding
Outcomes for pupilsOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding
Sixth formOutstanding

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 5 March 2025: Ofsted found the school had maintained its standards.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

41 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 93% 89%
My child feels safe at this school 93% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 88% 84%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 11 parents whose child had been bullied 27% 51%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 26 parents who had raised a concern 73% 76%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 41 parents of children with SEND 95% 68%
I would recommend this school to another parent 93%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 24%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

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.

24 pupils in this year group.

100% — 12 points above the Liverpool average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolLiverpoolEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 88% 92%
School sixth form 0% 46% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 5% 13%
Further education college 0% 30% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 3% 3%
Work 0% 2% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
100%100%

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 Liverpool. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Liverpool

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: Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Multi-sensory impairment; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolLiverpoolEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 58.3% 64.5%* 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 31.0% 11.4%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 10.7% 12.2%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 30.6% 34.3%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 10.6 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 4.5% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.05% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 6.8 7.7 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.1 3.3 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 23.2% 14.8%* 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 Palmerston School's Ofsted rating?

Palmerston School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 18 March 2015. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 5 March 2025, Ofsted found the school had maintained its standards.

Would parents recommend Palmerston School?

93% of the 41 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025 said they would recommend Palmerston School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

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Page updated 26 September 2026.