How many schools are in Liverpool?

Liverpool has 194 open schools: 115 primary schools and 31 secondary schools across 5 areas. Data sourced from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register.

What areas are covered by Liverpool school catchment zones?

Liverpool administers catchment areas across 5 areas, including Liverpool, Merseyside, Other, Croxteth, LIVERPOOL. Each school's catchment boundary is set by the local authority and reviewed annually as part of the admissions process.

How do school catchment areas work in Liverpool?

In Liverpool, catchment areas define a geographical zone around each school. Children living within the catchment boundary are given priority in oversubscription criteria. The exact boundary, and the "last distance offered", changes each year based on application volumes. Official catchment maps and admissions policies are published by Liverpool council each autumn.

Which schools in Liverpool are oversubscribed?

Oversubscription varies by school and year in Liverpool. Popular schools typically receive more applications than available places, meaning the "last distance offered" shrinks annually. To check demand for a specific school, consult the Liverpool admissions authority's published offer data or the school's own admissions policy.

Liverpool School Catchment Areas

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Liverpool coordinates admissions across 115 primary and 31 secondary schools, with oversubscription criteria applied consistently across the authority.

Liverpool, Merseyside and Croxteth host the biggest clusters - useful to know when a preferred school is oversubscribed, because the next-nearest alternative is often in a neighbouring town rather than the same catchment.

Selective schools are part of the mix in Liverpool - for those applying to grammar schools, a selective admissions test is required in addition to the standard admissions process.

194 total 115 primary 31 secondary 5 areas

Based on the latest published capacity data, 57 of the 194 schools in Liverpool are at or above their admission number, so catchment distance is decisive at those schools. Liverpool has 1 selective school that admit by entrance test rather than distance. 76 schools apply faith-based criteria alongside catchment distance. Of the 73 Liverpool schools with a current Ofsted rating, 57 are rated Good or Outstanding.

Liverpool Catchment Area Documents

Official admissions policies and catchment boundary maps for Liverpool schools are published annually. The council publishes oversubscription criteria, last-distance figures, and appeals timetables on its dedicated admissions page.

Liverpool admissions (official) →