Birkdale High SchoolMeols Cop High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Southport.
Summary of the comparison
Birkdale High School and Meols Cop High School are secondary schools in Southport.
Birkdale High School scores 66 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Meols Cop High School scores 56 out of 100 (grade C, average). Birkdale High School is ahead on our composite score.
Birkdale High School was judged strong and Meols Cop High School was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 51.7 for Birkdale High School and 42.9 for Meols Cop High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Birkdale High School (56.0 in 2021-22, 51.7 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Meols Cop High School (41.1 in 2023-24, 42.9 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | SouthportBirkdale High School | SouthportMeols Cop High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C66/100Stronger figure | C56/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 18 in Sefton Stronger figure | 6th of 18 in Sefton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Boys | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 936 | 916 | |
| Capacity | 940 | 925 | |
| Location | Southport, PR8 3DT | Southport, PR8 6JS | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 51.7 Stronger figure | 42.9 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 60.0% Stronger figure | 40.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 76.2% Stronger figure | 61.6% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 185 | 177 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 923 | 906 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 21.8% | 31.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 11.6% | 11.6% | |
| SEN support | 16.8% | 11.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.4% | 4.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.7% Stronger figure | 8.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.7% Stronger figure | 23.1% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Birkdale High School
Meols Cop High School
Full profiles: Birkdale High School · Meols Cop High School