Range High School Review 2026: A School on the Rise

In 1976, the Bishop of Liverpool formally opened a school built in response to acute overcrowding at nearby Formby High School. Nearly fifty years later, Range High School stands as a comprehensive academy that has weathered considerable challenges and is now rebuilding its academic reputation. The school serves just over 1,000 students aged 11 to 18 across two single-storey buildings on a 20-acre campus. The March 2022 Ofsted inspection, following a turbulent period, awarded the school a Good rating across all measured categories. Today, it ranks 2,029th in England for GCSE outcomes, placing it in the middle 35% nationally (FindMySchool ranking), with particularly encouraging signs in sixth form performance.

Range High School occupies distinctive single-storey structures originally separated into teaching and sports/arts wings, a layout that still shapes the school's physical geography and sense of distinct spaces. The setting is suburban Merseyside, situated on the edge of Formby in a relatively low-deprivation area with fewer than 10% of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Mr Michael McGarry, who took up the headship in September 2019, arrived during a recovery phase. His predecessor, Graham Aldridge, had resigned in early 2019 following the school's drop from five consecutive Outstanding ratings to a Requires Improvement grade in late 2018. The inspection report at that time highlighted poor behaviour from a minority group of boys, though it notably observed that girls made "very strong progress" by a magnitude of half a grade better than boys. The subsequent 2022 inspection showed tangible improvement across leadership, behaviour, and provision.

The school describes itself as a place "where children flourish," centring its ethos on personal development alongside academic challenge. The pastoral care system, established over decades, remains a consistent feature. Staff turnover appears stable, and the student body is balanced almost equally between boys (48%) and girls (52%), creating a genuinely mixed peer environment. Just under 15% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below local average, suggesting a relatively affluent catchment.

GCSE Performance

In 2024, an Attainment 8 score of 46.3 was marginally above the England average of 45.9 (FindMySchool data). The Progress 8 score of -0.15 indicates pupils made slightly less progress than the national average from their starting points at key stage 2, a persistent challenge for the school. Approximately 54% of students achieved grade 5 or above in English and mathematics combined, in line with local and national expectations.

The school ranks 2,029th in England (FindMySchool ranking), placing it firmly in the middle tier nationally (25th to 60th percentile, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England). Locally within Liverpool, it ranks 16th among secondary schools. The English Baccalaureate entered fewer than 15% of pupils, indicating limited take-up of the broad academic pathway combining sciences, languages, humanities, and maths.

A-Level Performance

A-level results show greater promise. In 2024, 56% of grades achieved A*-B, substantially above the England average of 47%. With 7% of entries at A* and 17% at A, the school demonstrates that some sixth form students are performing at high academic levels. The school ranks 912th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the upper-middle tier nationally, above 66% of sixth forms in England.

Notably, in 2019, the school achieved the highest Progress 8 score of any 11-18 secondary school in Sefton, suggesting it had begun to narrow gaps for lower-attaining pupils.

The school holds the designation of Mathematics and Computing Specialist College, a status granted in 2005 following fundraising efforts involving parents, local businesses, and the Ogden Trust. This specialism is reflected in the curriculum emphasis on computational thinking and mathematical problem-solving from key stage 3 onwards.

Teaching is broadly structured around traditional subject departments, with the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 leading to GCSE options from Year 9. The school offers a range of academic and vocational courses at A-level, with students able to choose either three or four A-levels depending on GCSE attainment. Sixth form pathways are explicitly structured to support different ambitions, from university preparation to technical and career-focused routes.

The 2022 inspection rated Quality of Education as Good, finding teaching characterised by clear expectations and structured lessons. The school has worked to improve consistency in this area following the 2018 inspection.

In the 2023-24 cohort, 45% of leavers progressed to university, 37% entered employment directly, 4% started apprenticeships, and 1% continued in further education. This distribution reflects a comprehensive school intake with diverse post-18 pathways rather than a traditional sixth form feeder.

The school has established links with international education through an exchange partnership with Groupe Scolaire School in Shyira, Rwanda. In February 2011, sixth form students visited Rwanda and led assemblies there; in return, staff and pupils from the Rwandan school spent two weeks at Range, presenting to year groups. The school was awarded the International School Award 2008-2011 and was recently re-accredited until 2014, demonstrating sustained commitment to global citizenship education.

At Oxbridge level, the school secured 1 Cambridge acceptance from 2 applications in recent years (FindMySchool data), indicating modest but genuine Oxbridge engagement.

Duke of Edinburgh Award and Personal Development

Duke of Edinburgh's Award operates across all year groups, with pupils able to progress to Silver and Gold levels. The school includes this as part of a deliberate personal development strand, though the scheme serves as vehicle for developing resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills rather than standalone activity.

Sports and Athletics

The school benefits from dedicated sports facilities within its original sports and arts building, with access to playing fields across the 20-acre site. Although specific team lists are not published online, the school competes in representative fixtures across rugby, football, netball, hockey, badminton, tennis, and athletics. The physical education curriculum includes extensive options, with students encouraged to engage in both competitive and participatory sport throughout their five years.

Music and the Performing Arts

Instrumental lessons are available through a structured registration system, and the school maintains a tradition of musical performance. The school offers tuition across standard orchestral instruments and voice, coordinated through the Pupil Support section of the website. Music provision extends beyond solo study to ensemble opportunities, though specific ensemble names (such as concert bands, orchestras, or choirs) are not detailed in the school's online materials.

Extra-Curricular Clubs and Societies

The school publishes an Extra Curricular Timetable (available to parents and pupils via the website) listing clubs running before school, during lunch, and after school on a rotating half-termly basis. Clubs have historically included drama, photography, dance, film appreciation, debating, academic extension clubs in STEM subjects, and subject-specific societies aligned to curriculum areas. The timetable is refreshed termly to maintain student interest and respond to demand.

Community Links

Beyond the Rwanda partnership, the school maintains relationships with the local faith community. St Luke's Church, Formby, has formalised links with the school, with the school regularly contributing articles to parish publications and collaborating on local community events including the Christmas Village Nativity and summer Fun Day. The church additionally offers spiritual support to any students and families requiring it, reflecting the school's non-denominational but community-engaged character.

Library and Learning Resources

The library serves as a focal point for independent study and research, particularly for sixth form students. Information literacy and independent research skills are embedded within the curriculum.

The school is a non-selective academy converter, meaning entry at Year 7 is determined primarily by distance from the school and application preference, with sibling priority also applied. The Sefton Local Authority coordinates admissions through the standard process. In the most recent admissions cycle, the school attracted 354 applications for approximately 160 Year 7 places, making it significantly oversubscribed at 2.2 times. This indicates strong parental demand, particularly within the immediate Formby area.

Sixth form entry is determined by academic performance at GCSE, with students typically required to have achieved grade 4 or above in five subjects including English and mathematics. The school accepts both internal progression and external applications from other schools. Applications for the sixth form are made directly to the school rather than through local authority coordination.

The pastoral system is established and long-standing, with form tutors assigned to small tutor groups that remain together for the duration of the school. The 2022 Ofsted report rated Personal Development and Behaviour and Attitudes both as Good, indicating sustained progress in these areas from the previous Requires Improvement position.

The school maintains a dedicated Careers and Enterprise programme, coordinated by specialist staff, to support students in understanding post-16 options including university, apprenticeships, and employment pathways. Y11 pupils and their families attend structured support evenings focused on GCSE preparation and exam technique. Sixth form students similarly receive dedicated guidance in preparation for university applications and competitive entry.

The school provides access to SEND support coordinated through a designated SENCO, with approximately 45 pupils on the SEN register receiving specialist coordination and additional adult support as needed. The school holds the Inclusion Quality Mark, externally validating its approach to inclusive education.

The school day runs from 8:50am to 3:20pm (Year 11 timetable; Year 12-13 may vary due to option choices). The school does not operate formal breakfast or after-school care, leaving responsibility for these arrangements to families. A school bus service operates from various points across the Sefton area for pupils living outside walking distance; parents should contact the school directly regarding current routes and arrangements.

Uniform is compulsory throughout Years 7-11, with sixth form students operating under more relaxed dress code guidelines while still expected to maintain professional appearance. Parents should refer to the school website for current uniform specification and approved suppliers. Music lessons (instrumental tuition) are available for additional charge, coordinated through the school's registration system; students with their own instruments may also arrange peripatetic tuition outside school arrangements.

Recovery trajectory still in progress. The school moved from five consecutive Outstanding ratings to Requires Improvement in 2018, then recovered to Good in 2022. While the 2022 inspection confirmed broad improvements, some families may prefer to observe a longer track record of consistent performance at Good or above. The Progress 8 score of -0.15 suggests that pupils here make slightly below-average progress from their starting points, an area where the school is actively working to improve.

Broader cohort than traditional secondary. As a non-selective comprehensive with a largely affluent but mixed catchment, the school serves pupils with highly varied starting points and aspirations. Pupils seeking a more narrowly academic environment focused exclusively on university preparation might find a grammar school or independent school better suited; those seeking inclusive, community education will find Range accommodating.

Limited published detail on specialist programmes. While Mathematics and Computing specialism is stated, the school's website provides limited insight into distinctive STEM provision, specialist equipment, coding facilities, or enrichment pathways. Families specifically seeking deep STEM specialisation should contact the school directly to understand the extent of this provision.

Range High School is a comprehensive academy in active recovery and improvement, now delivering a Good-rated education across all measured areas. The A-level cohort outperforms national averages, and the pastoral care system is well-established and stable. GCSE outcomes sit squarely at national average, with Progress 8 slightly below par; this reflects the comprehensive, non-selective nature of the intake rather than poor teaching. The school suits families within the local Formby area seeking accessible, inclusive secondary education with strong sixth form prospects, alongside those valuing established pastoral systems and community ethos over academic selectivity.