Bluebell Park School
Bluebell Park School is a council special school in Liverpool for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 238 pupils, 37 more than it has places for. About 56 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Cawthorne Walk, Southdene, Kirkby, Liverpool, L32 3XP0151 477 8350bluebellparkknowsley.co.ukMrs Michelle Slater headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 4 July 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
21 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
The government hasn't published this school's headline results. That usually means the year group was too small to publish without identifying children.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
11 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 11 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 61% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.5 | -5.0 | -1.3 | -4.7 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -5.3 | -5.7 | -2.3 | -4.8 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | 0% | – | – | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | 0% | – | – | 0% | 0% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Knowsley council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Knowsley with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (107), Severe learning difficulty (55), language and communications needs (25), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (21), Physical disability (6), Other difficulty or disability (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 238 | 226 | 224 | 220 | 207 | 202 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 56% | 57% | 55% | 56% | 57% | 56% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.8% | 12.3% | 12.1% | 11.6% | 13.4% | 9.6% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 10.5% | 11.1% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 12.7% | 8.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 32.7% | 31.7% | 33.3% | 34.9% | 45.2% | 28.3% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 22 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 100%, compared with 100% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Education | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activate | Special post 16 institution | 220 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Kirkby High School | Academy | 310 m | 1,042 | Good 2022 | 3 | Compare |
| St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 580 m | 237 | Good 2022 | 26 | Compare |
| St Laurence's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 890 m | 390 | Not inspected | 26 | Compare |
| Park Brow Community Primary School | Council | 960 m | 457 | Report card 2026 | 5 | Compare |
| Kirkby CofE Primary School | Church of England | 0.9 miles | 307 | Good 2023 | 58 | Compare |
| Northwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision) | Council | 1.0 miles | 471 | Not inspected | 22 | Compare |
| Our Lady and St Swithin's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 1.0 miles | 219 | Good 2023 | 21 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Bluebell Park School a good school?
Bluebell Park School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in July 2023.
What is Bluebell Park School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Bluebell Park School good at its last full inspection on 4 July 2023.
How good are Bluebell Park School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Bluebell Park School have?
238 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 201 places, so it is 118% full.
What is attendance like at Bluebell Park School?
Pupils were in school 88.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 33% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Bluebell Park School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is a special school for autism, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Bluebell Park School have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Cawthorne Walk, Southdene, Kirkby, Liverpool, L32 3XP
- Telephone
- 0151 477 8350
- Website
- www.bluebellparkknowsley.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Michelle Slater
- Type of school
- Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 3-19, with nursery, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Knowsley
- Ward
- Cherryfield
- Constituency
- Knowsley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 104495 · LAESTAB 3407005 · UKPRN 10017551
- Formerly
- Springfield/Elms Federation At Bluebell Park
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.