Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre Review 2026: A State School with Strong Community Values

In Birkdale, Southport, stands a 1960s Catholic comprehensive that has quietly transformed from temporary wartime buildings into a thriving 830-pupil school. Christ The King emerged from humble origins, yet it remains firmly rooted in its community with genuine Gospel values woven through daily life. The school achieved Good across all four key areas in Ofsted's November 2023 inspection, marking a significant recovery for an institution that faced challenges only a few years prior. Pupils here describe feeling safe, valued, and genuinely happy, while the school's partnerships with Southport Football Club and investment in a specialist sixth form football pathway showcase ambition beyond traditional academic routes.

The school occupies multiple buildings on Stamford Road, a campus that has expanded organically to accommodate its larger-than-average pupil numbers. What strikes visitors most is the palpable sense of inclusion. The Ofsted report notes that pupils feel happy, safe, and valued in a welcoming environment, and this translates into calm, respectful corridors where students are genuinely engaged in their studies.

Catholic faith is central, not peripheral, to school life. Daily form time collective worship, weekly Mass opportunities, and chapel sessions provide spiritual anchors. Yet the school goes beyond faith practice to emphasise understanding and respect for other traditions, creating space for all students to feel valued regardless of background. Inspection findings highlighted the prompt identification of students with SEND and deliberate curriculum adaptation to ensure genuine access for all learners.

Mrs Erin Wheeler, headteacher since September 2019, has steered the school through significant improvement. Her predecessor James Lancaster laid groundwork, but Wheeler's arrival has sharpened the school's focus on student voice and wellbeing. Teachers are described as welcoming and caring, while governors are praised for knowing the school extremely well and supporting leaders through robust challenge. Staff report feeling valued, with the school actively working to reduce workload while encouraging fresh ideas.

GCSE Performance

Christ The King ranks 2,823rd in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it below the national median. The school's Attainment 8 score of 41.5 sits below the England average of 45.9, a gap that reflects broader challenges in pupil starting points and post-Key Stage 2 progress. Progress 8 scores show an average progression of -0.62, meaning pupils make below-average progress from their starting points to GCSE, accounting for their individual ability profiles.

Entry to STEM subjects like Further Mathematics remains limited, reflecting a cohort where facilitation subject uptake differs from selective schools. The school entered approximately 9% of pupils into the full English Baccalaureate, below the England average of 41%, though this reflects school strategy and pupil choice rather than restriction.

What matters for families is interpretation: results here do not match top-performing selective secondaries, but they reflect a non-selective Catholic comprehensive serving a real community. For families selecting schools, this means academic support is essential for GCSE success, and realistic expectation-setting matters.

A-Level Performance

The sixth form tells a different story. At A-level, Christ The King ranks 1st locally in Southport (FindMySchool ranking) and 1,433rd nationally, placing it in the middle tier across England. The school's performance sits in line with typical national performance: 41% of grades hit A*-B, compared to the England average of 47%. At A*, only 8% of grades reached the top mark, compared to the England average of 24%.

This positioning reflects realistic A-level cohorts: students here are ambitious, motivated, and supported through a taught A-level curriculum. The newly developed CTK6 partnership with Southport Football Club now offers an alternative pathway, combining full-time post-16 education with UEFA-qualified coaching, targeting students for whom traditional academic routes alone do not fit.

Teaching follows clear structures and high expectations. Staff have specialist subject knowledge and explain concepts with clarity. The school operates homework clubs at lunchtimes and after-school, with compulsory study sessions for Key Stage 4 students in core subjects every evening, ensuring no student falls without support.

The curriculum includes traditional academic routes alongside vocational pathways. Peripatetic music teachers offer subsidised tuition for brass, woodwind, drums, and guitar, removing financial barriers to instrumental learning. The Duke of Edinburgh award runs from Year 9, with participation encouraged across the cohort. Specialist staff regularly update teaching practice using research evidence, whilst digital resources and virtual learning platforms support hybrid delivery.

Differentiation is deliberate: the SEND team uses strategic deployment of teaching assistants to ensure full curriculum access for students requiring additional support. This approach means every lesson can be genuinely accessible, not as an afterthought but as core design.

Post-16 Destinations

In the 2023/24 cohort (the latest available), 39% of leavers progressed to university, with 8% entering further education, 3% to apprenticeships, and 25% into employment. This spread reflects the non-selective intake: not all students aim for or require university, yet the school ensures pathways exist for those who do.

Sixth form progression shows students going to a mix of universities, though The Schools Guide data from 2022 indicates 29% of cohort progressed to higher education, suggesting variance year-on-year. The new CTK6 football programme directly addresses students for whom traditional sixth form is not the fit, offering specialisation in partnership with a professional football club.

Sixth Form Specifics

The inspectors identified sixth form as requiring improvement, noting that attainment, progress, and destinations are below average at post-16. This is an honest assessment: not all sixth formers achieve at the level the main school achieves at GCSE. However, the school's recent partnership with Southport Football Club and deliberate diversification of sixth form offer suggest conscious effort to broaden pathways beyond traditional A-level progression.

Music: Student-Led and Accessible

Peripatetic music teachers provide school-subsidised tuition in brass, woodwind, drums, and guitar, making instrumental learning financially accessible to families for whom private fees would be prohibitive. Student performance opportunities abound throughout the school year, with showcases and assemblies featuring bands, choirs, and instrumental groups. The music rehearsal studio enables students to hire practice space and develop serious musicianship, moving beyond casual interest into sustained learning.

Drama: Platform for All Abilities

Drama productions are staged annually, providing students the experience of full theatrical production from rehearsal through performance. The main school hall with stage serves as the primary venue, whilst smaller drama studios enable workshop-style teaching and student-led productions. Ofsted noted the vast array of extra-curricular activities available, and drama is clearly a pillar of cultural life here.

Sports: Inclusive Yet Aspirational

The award-winning PE department engages all abilities through daily sporting activity. Facilities include a large sports hall accommodating four badminton courts, a gymnasium, two grass pitches for football and rugby (11-a-side), and an external tarmac area. Rugby, football, hockey, and cricket feature prominently in fixtures, with teams competing against local and regional schools. Training occurs at lunchtime and after-school, with fixtures often on Friday afternoons and weekends.

The headline initiative is the new CTK6 partnership with Southport Football Club, announced in 2025. This elite post-16 pathway involves full-time education paired with training from UEFA-qualified coaches. Students wear branded CTK6/Southport FC kit, train daily in afternoons, compete in the English College League or National League U19s depending on ability, and combine A-levels or Level 3 qualifications with football specialism. This represents genuine innovation for the sixth form, widening participation beyond traditional A-level cohorts.

STEM and Computing

The school holds specialist technology college status, signalling investment in science, technology, and computing. Subjects are taught separately rather than combined, supporting depth. Extension opportunities exist through competitions and clubs, though less documented than music or sport. Computing and IT resources are continually updated, with digital platforms supporting blended learning across the curriculum.

Extended Curriculum Beyond Clubs

Beyond formal clubs, the school offers spiritual retreats as part of personal development, weekly Mass for interested students, and structured form time collective worship. Duke of Edinburgh runs from Year 9, with participants working toward Gold level. The Leadership Partnership school status reflects student voice structures, where pupils know opinions matter and report feeling heard.

Student-led clubs showcase individual interests. The school encourages initiative: students themselves plan, organise, and run activities, from Media Club (teaching Photoshop and digital design) through specialist interest groups. This student agency builds leadership skills rarely taught in formal curriculum.

Christ The King is a non-selective Catholic voluntary aided school. Places are allocated by the local authority (Sefton) through coordinated secondary admissions. In 2024, 340 applications competed for 151 Year 7 places, representing 2.25 applications per place. The school is oversubscribed, meaning competition exists, though non-selectivity means no entrance exam.

As a Catholic voluntary aided school, the school follows Catholic admissions criteria. Priority is given to looked-after children, then baptised Catholics with evidence of practice, then other Christian denominations, then other faiths and no faith, prioritised by distance. Families should verify current admissions arrangements on the school website or Sefton Council's admissions portal, as criteria can shift.

The inspection noted admissions as a particular strength, praising how the school welcomes new students and ensures rapid integration into community life.

The school operates a structured pastoral system with tutor groups of 6-8 students per academic staff member, enabling close relationship-building. Tutors oversee academic progress and personal wellbeing, meeting pupils daily. The SEND team includes dedicated teaching assistants deployed strategically across year groups, ensuring students with identified needs receive immediate support.

Inspection findings noted that the school promptly identifies pupils with SEND, adapts curriculum delivery to enable access, and includes these students fully in all aspects of school life. This is not inclusion rhetoric; it describes daily practice.

Mental health support is available through counselling services, accessible for students needing emotional support. Staff are trained in mental health awareness, and the school maintains focus on safeguarding with protocols regularly reviewed and updated.

Homework clubs operate daily at lunchtimes and after-school, removing barriers for students lacking home study space. Compulsory study sessions for Key Stage 4 in core subjects offer structured, staff-led revision every evening, with subject teachers leading sessions in their specialisms. This removes the need for families to fund private tutoring, democratising access to intensive support.

School day runs from 8:50am to 3:20pm. Buses serve the catchment, with links to Southport town centre and surrounding areas. The school is located on Stamford Road, Birkdale, approximately 2 miles south of Southport town centre and accessible by public transport. Nearest railway stations are Southport and Birkdale, both within walking distance or short bus ride.

Parking is limited on-site, making school travel by public transport or walking preferable during peak hours. The school serves lunches daily, with students able to bring packed lunches. Uniform is compulsory, in line with Catholic secondary tradition.

Sixth form challenge: The Ofsted report identified sixth form as requiring improvement, noting attainment, progress, and destinations are below national average. For families considering the sixth form specifically, this is a genuine concern requiring honest conversation with school leadership about tailored support and realistic progression pathways. The new CTK6 partnership may suit some; others may benefit from alternative sixth form provision.

GCSE outcomes reflect intake: Results are below selective school benchmarks because the intake is non-selective and reflects community demographics. Families expecting results comparable to selective grammar schools will be disappointed. However, for students of moderate ability seeking genuine support through secondary, this is a realistic option.

Catchment demand: With 2.25 applications per place, entry is competitive even without formal selection. Living within practical distance is essential; families relying on transport from distant areas may not secure places. Check current distance data with Sefton Council admissions.

Catholic ethos is genuine: Faith practice is woven through daily life. Families uncomfortable with regular collective worship, weekly Mass opportunities, and explicit religious teaching should consider alternatives, even if pupils are baptised Catholic.

Christ The King is a genuine Catholic comprehensive serving its Southport community with care, inclusion, and improving academic standards. The school's recovery to Good across all four key inspection areas is real and measurable. Best suited to families within the competitive catchment who value Catholic community, inclusive pastoral care, and realistic academic support without academic selection. The sixth form carries genuine challenges; families considering post-16 entry should seek detailed conversations about their son or daughter's specific needs and realistic progression routes. For Years 7-11, the school offers safety, belonging, and pathways to genuine achievement within a framework of Gospel values lived out daily.