Knowsley schools in numbers
How Knowsley's 63 schools compare with North West and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools63open, all types
Pupils21,717on roll
Primary schools50
Secondary schools6
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Knowsley | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 61 schools | 40.3% | 29.0% | 26.3% | 135thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 61 schools | 41.8% | 29.8% | 27.1% | 133rdof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 61 schools | 9.0% | 16.7% | 18.6% | 119thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 61 schools | 17.8% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 7thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 61 schools | 11.5% | 12.7% | 11.6% | 83rdof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Knowsley | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 56 schools | 25.6 | 24.9 | 25.0 | 97thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 56 schools | 7.7% | 11.5% | 10.6% | 46thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 61 schools | 19.4 | 19.1 | 19.0 | 104thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 60 schools | 11.3% | 13.5% | 15.0% | 8thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 61 schools | £52,034 | £51,081 | £51,377 | 45thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 59 schools | 7.1 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 151stof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Knowsley | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 59 schools | 92.3% | 93.7% | 93.8% | 149thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 59 schools | 22.5% | 15.9% | 15.8% | 150thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 59 schools | 7.1 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 92ndof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Knowsley | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 60 schools | £9,210 | £9,291 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 60 schools | £3,982 | £4,183 | £4,229 | 104thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 61 schools | 3.7% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 135thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 61 schools | 23.0% | 15.2% | 14.1% | 126thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Knowsley | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 6 schools | 25.4% | 42.3% | 46.1% | 150thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 6 schools | 36.5 | 45.3 | 47.0 | 150thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 48 schools | 60.6% | 61.3% | 63.1% | 115thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 48 schools | 5.5% | 7.1% | 8.3% | 132ndof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Knowsley | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 55 schools | 25% | 15% | 13% | 3rdof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 28 schools | 93% | 93% | 94% | 107thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 54 schools | 20% | 32% | 35% | 144thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 56 schools | 92.4% | 88.5% | 86.2% | 15thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 63 schools | 32% | 38% | 52% | 127thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 63 schools | 22.2% | 14.6% | 12.0% | 26thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
KnowsleyEngland
Since 2016: -2.0%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
KnowsleyEngland
Since 2019: +8.0%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
KnowsleyEngland
Since 2017: +1.4%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
KnowsleyEngland
Since 2016: +12.2%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
KnowsleyEngland
Since 2007: +6.6