SCHOOL PROFILE

Alt Bridge School

Not applicable Community special school URN 104498
Open
Pupils 8,834,192 Latest school census
Capacity 230 Published school capacity
Capacity used 154.8% Pupils as a share of capacity
Age range 11 – 19 Statutory age range
OFSTED

Latest graded inspection

11 October 2023
Latest published outcome Good
OEIF
Quality of education Good
Behaviour & attitudes Good
Personal development Outstanding
Leadership & management Good
SCHOOL DETAILS

About this school

School type Community special school
Phase Not applicable
Gender Mixed
Religious character Does not apply
Local authority Knowsley
Trust Not applicable
Census date 15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE

School community

Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.

2025/26
Total pupils 356 356 full-time · 0 part-time
Female pupils 103 28.9% of pupils
Male pupils 253 71.1% of pupils

Free school meals

Pupils eligible for free school meals.

66.3%
41.5 pts above England
School 66.3%
Knowsley 41.7%
North West 28.5%
England 24.8%

English as an additional language

Pupils whose first language is not English.

3.9%
16.4 pts below England
School 3.9%
Knowsley 8.8%
North West 18.1%
England 20.3%

Young carers

Pupils recorded as young carers.

0.6%
0.4 pts below England
School 0.6%
Knowsley 0.3%
North West 0.8%
England 1.0%

Ethnicity

Largest recorded pupil groups.

White British
93.3%
332
Any other White background
2.0%
7
Any other ethnic group
1.1%
4
Any other Asian background
0.6%
2
Unclassified
0.6%
2
White and Asian
0.6%
2
Council, regional and national comparisons are pupil-weighted using published school census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS

Special educational needs

Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.

2025/26
Pupils with SEN 100.0% 356 of 356 pupils
79.2 pts above England England: 20.8%
School 100.0%
Knowsley 26.4%
North West 22.1%
England 20.8%
SEN support 0.0% 0 pupils
England 14.8% 14.8 pts below
EHC plans 100.0% 356 pupils
England 6.0% 94.0 pts above
PRIMARY NEEDS

Most common identified needs

Pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder 203
Speech, language & communication 59
Social, emotional & mental health 32
Moderate learning difficulty 27
Specific learning difficulty 14
Severe learning difficulty 12

SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Key stage 4 outcomes

Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.

2024/25
ATTAINMENT 8

Average attainment score

3.8 35.4 pts below England
School 3.8
Knowsley 28.1
North West 37.7
England 39.2
English & maths grade 5+ 3.8% England 36.0% 32.2 pts below England
English & maths grade 4+ 5.7% England 51.4% 45.7 pts below England
EBacc entry 0.0% England 30.6% 30.6 pts below England
EBacc average point score 0.17 England 3.41
Progress 8 Not available for 2024/25

Latest published: -2.54 · 2023/24

Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.

ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE

Attendance profile

Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.

2024/25
ABSENCE RATE

Overall absence

11.75%

Percentage of possible sessions missed.

5.53 pts higher than England
School 11.75%
Knowsley 7.68%
North West 6.25%
England 6.22%
ABSENCE RATE

Persistent absence

34.75%

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

18.94 pts higher than England
School 34.75%
Knowsley 22.49%
North West 15.89%
England 15.82%
ABSENCE RATE

Severe absence

5.32%

Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.

3.52 pts higher than England
School 5.32%
Knowsley 1.96%
North West 1.75%
England 1.80%
Council, regional and national comparisons are averages of published school-level percentages rather than pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

School context

Comparison with open not applicable schools.

CAPACITY

Capacity utilisation

154.8% 75.0 pts above England
Alt Bridge School
154.8%
Knowsley
99.9%
North West
82.4%
England
79.8%
Benchmarks use open schools in the same phase. Capacity utilisation is calculated from published pupil and capacity figures.
Sources: Department for Education · Get Information about Schools · Ofsted monthly management information