Graded inspection · May 2024 Previous framework
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
This schoolOther secondary schools in Halton
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good | |||
| Personal development | Good | |||
| Leadership and management | Good |
Inspection history
- 14 May 2024Graded inspection: Good
- 20 October 2022Ungraded inspection: School remains Outstanding (Concerns)
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry502 applications · 170 places offered · 152 named it first
- 2026 3.0; Halton median median 2.0
- 2025 2.8; Halton median median 2.0
- 2024 2.2; Halton median median 1.8
- 2023 2.3; Halton median median 1.8
- 2022 2.4; Halton median median 1.7
- 2021 2.5; Halton median median 1.7
- 2020 2.9; Halton median median 1.7
- 2019 2.4; Halton median median 1.3
- 2018 1.6; Halton median median 1.6
- 2017 1.3; Halton median median 1.6
- 2016 1.3; Halton median median 1.6
- 2015 1.8; Halton median median 1.9
- 2014 1.8; Halton median median 1.9; as the previous school
- This school
- Halton median
Dashed bars: as The Bankfield School (URN 111463), the previous school.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 170 | 502 | 3.0 | 152 | 0.89 |
| Sep 2025 | 164 | 461 | 2.8 | 149 | 0.91 |
| Sep 2024 | 189 | 411 | 2.2 | 171 | 0.90 |
| Sep 2023 | 189 | 436 | 2.3 | 185 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2022 | 187 | 450 | 2.4 | 230 | 1.23 |
| Sep 2021 | 188 | 463 | 2.5 | 239 | 1.27 |
| Sep 2020 | 187 | 542 | 2.9 | 238 | 1.27 |
| Sep 2019 | 188 | 458 | 2.4 | 243 | 1.29 |
| Sep 2018 | 190 | 300 | 1.6 | 170 | 0.89 |
| Sep 2017 | 167 | 221 | 1.3 | 116 | 0.69 |
| Sep 2016 | 143 | 182 | 1.3 | 94 | 0.66 |
| Sep 2015 | 133 | 239 | 1.8 | 109 | 0.82 |
| Sep 2014 * | 121 | 218 | 1.8 | 74 | 0.61 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 181 | 37.0 | 32% | 55% | – |
| 2024/25 | 179 | 41.2 | 39% | 54% | – |
| 2023/24 | 184 | 40.6 | 38% | 62% | −0.23 |
| 2022/23 | 186 | 43.6 | 39% | 52% | −0.12 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Ormiston Chadwick AcademyThis schoolThis schoolGood20243.0applications per place 37.0Attainment 8
- 1.2 km · HaltonRemains Good20222.4applications per place 39.9Attainment 8
- 1.7 km · HaltonOutstanding20222.1applications per place 49.2Attainment 8
- 4.4 km · St. HelensGood20231.9applications per place 50.3Attainment 8
- 5.1 km · Halton20262.0applications per place 36.0Attainment 8
- 5.2 km · Knowsley20261.0applications per place 32.6Attainment 8
- 5.4 km · Knowsley20261.8applications per place 39.8Attainment 8
- 5.7 km · HaltonGraded · no overall grade20251.7applications per place 41.0Attainment 8
- 6.1 km · HaltonGraded · no overall grade20251.9applications per place 37.5Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 140864 · 876/4001
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 976 pupils · 884 on roll
- Free school meals
- 51.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 September 2014
- Replaced
- The Bankfield School (URN 111463)
- Address
- Liverpool Road, Widnes, WA8 7HU
- Local authority
- Halton
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources