Notre Dame Catholic Academy
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Notre Dame Catholic Academy is a sponsored academy in Liverpool for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 968 pupils and room for 1,050. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 0 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2022.
180 Great Homer Street, Liverpool, L5 5AF0151 330 5122notredameliverpool.comMrs Victoria Taylor headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 May 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Requires improvement overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
177 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024† | 2023† | 2022† | 2019† | 2018† | Liverpool | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 177 | 179 | 152 | 150 | 149 | 136 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 31.0 | 32.1 | 31.5 | 37.0 | 40.2 | 34.5 | 43.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -1.40 | -1.28 | -0.83 | -0.45 | -0.98 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 22% | 21% | 13% | 30% | 28% | 18% | 39% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 36% | 40% | 33% | 53% | 53% | 35% | 59% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.32 | 2.74 | 2.54 | 2.87 | 3.35 | 2.08 | 3.74 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 13% | 22% | 16% | 6% | 19% | 3% | 38% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 25.1 | 24.5 | 28.6 | 31.2 | 35.3 | 28.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 37.4 | 39.6 | 35.6 | 47.6 | 47.6 | 40.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 12.2 | 18.3 | 23.8 | 23.3 | 11.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 51.6 | 51.7 | 55.8 | 53.0 | 47.6 | – | – |
† These results are for Notre Dame Catholic College, the school this one replaced in June 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Biology (8% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (9% here, 81% across England), Business (0% here, 51% across England), Physics (33% here, 82% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 176 | 4% | 24% | 40% | 53% | 3,112 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 176 | 4% | 27% | 43% | 54% | 3,101 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 171 | 6% | 33% | 48% | 58% | 2,970 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 168 | 9% | 27% | 43% | 60% | 1,768 of 1,825 |
| Biology | 103 | 3% | 8% | 21% | 82% | 2,565 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 101 | 4% | 9% | 21% | 81% | 2,534 of 2,537 |
| Geography | 90 | 2% | 14% | 18% | 51% | 3,057 of 3,116 |
| Combined Science | 73 | 6% | 27% | 44% | 36% | 2,082 of 3,084 |
| History | 68 | 12% | 35% | 53% | 52% | 2,530 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 49 | 16% | 51% | 71% | 58% | 1,789 of 2,818 |
| Physics | 30 | 10% | 33% | 57% | 82% | 2,507 of 2,546 |
| Computer Science | 27 | 11% | 30% | 44% | 56% | 1,589 of 1,861 |
| Business | 23 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 51% | 1,802 of 1,806 |
| Music | 23 | 0% | 22% | 26% | 61% | 361 of 395 |
| Spanish | 18 | 22% | 44% | 67% | 54% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 17 | 35% | 41% | 53% | 49% | – |
| Drama | 8 | 0% | 0% | 38% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
35 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Students | 35 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 27.02 |
| Average A level grade | C- |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.05 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 25.04 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 100% |
A level subjects
5 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference.
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 Liverpool council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 34 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 19 pupils, for autism.
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 Liverpool with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (105), emotional and mental health (59), Specific learning difficulty (37), language and communications needs (16), Other difficulty or disability (15), Moderate learning difficulty (11).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 968 | 991 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 51% | 46% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 16% | 15% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 15% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 8% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 84.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 15.1% | 13.7% | 12.0% | 11.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 7.3% | 4.7% | 2.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 9.6% | 8.4% | 6.2% | 4.5% | 3.1% | 3.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 46.0% | 40.6% | 37.6% | 39.8% | 24.2% | 16.2% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 56.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 19 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for Notre Dame Catholic College, the school this one replaced in June 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Liverpool Academy | Academy | 680 m | 1,269 | Report card 2026 | 43 | Compare |
| Purple Ruler | Online provider | 1.3 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| The Academy of St Francis of Assisi | Academy | 1.5 miles | 873 | Requires improvement 2024 | 4 | Compare |
| Alsop High School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 1,336 | Report card 2026 | 0 | Compare |
| Hillside High School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 785 | Good 2023 | 23 | Compare |
| Marydale Lodge Sch | Secure units | 1.6 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| LIPA School | Free school | 1.8 miles | 499 | Report card 2026 | 4 | Compare |
| Liverpool Life Sciences UTC | University technical college | 2.1 miles | 587 | Not inspected | 29 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Notre Dame Catholic Academy with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 0 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 0% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 0 to 1. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.35 | 2025 results; 177 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | well below | -0.42 | Ofsted grade, 4.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.71 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 177 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.28 | 2024/25; 929 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.36 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 177 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 5% | well below | -0.14 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 34 responses |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Notre Dame Catholic Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Notre Dame Catholic Academy scores 0 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 0 to 1, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Notre Dame Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Notre Dame Catholic Academy requires improvement at its last full inspection on 24 May 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Notre Dame Catholic Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 22% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 31.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Notre Dame Catholic Academy have?
968 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,050 places, so it is 92% full.
Is Notre Dame Catholic Academy oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Notre Dame Catholic Academy?
Pupils were in school 84.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 46% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about Notre Dame Catholic Academy?
29% of the 34 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 38% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at Notre Dame Catholic Academy?
The average class had 22.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 3% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Notre Dame Catholic Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Notre Dame Catholic Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 5 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- 180 Great Homer Street, Liverpool, L5 5AF
- Telephone
- 0151 330 5122
- Website
- notredameliverpool.com
- Headteacher
- Mrs Victoria Taylor
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Liverpool
- Multi-academy trust
- St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust (11 schools)
- Local authority
- Liverpool
- Ward
- Vauxhall
- Constituency
- Liverpool Riverside
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 June 2024 (new provision)
- URN
- 150373 · LAESTAB 3414016 · UKPRN 10093886
- Formerly
- Notre Dame Catholic College
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.
- 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.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 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.