Merchant Taylors' Schools
Same Sefton area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
St. Mary's College is a private secondary-stage school in Liverpool, Sefton, with a published age range of 0-18.
Private school Co-ed Ages 0-18 Sixth form No boarders
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 0-18
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
St. Mary's College
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 0-18
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Catholicity, service and a whole-person education give St. Mary's College its character. The community runs from early years through the senior school and Sixth Form, with a co-educational welcome for pupils of different faiths. In Crosby, the prep and senior stages share one college identity, while the formal age range extends from 0 to 18.
The academic programme is broad without losing a clear core. Senior pupils study English, mathematics, religious studies and science alongside languages, Latin, humanities, creative subjects, technology, music and physical education; all pupils take at least ten GCSE subjects. Sixth Form students normally take three A Levels, with the Extended Project Qualification, Games and Outreach adding research, activity and community dimensions.
Pastoral life is organised through forms in Years 7 to 11 and tutor groups in the Sixth Form. Tutors follow academic progress as well as personal and spiritual development, and older students contribute through charity and community work. Music, sport, drama, the Combined Cadet Force, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, clubs, societies and trips keep the college's intellectual, cultural, physical, moral and spiritual aims visible in daily life.
Year 7 entry combines an informal interview, a primary-school report and an entrance assessment with an online Cognitive Abilities Test plus written English and mathematics. Sixth Form entry uses interview, reports and GCSE performance, with an assessment for external applicants. Catholicity has practical expression through curriculum, outreach, scholarship and service rather than sitting apart from the everyday life of the college.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 94.2% grade 5+ in English and maths and 63.3 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 14.3% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Sefton and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 63.3
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 94.2%
- EBacc APS
- 5.51
- EBacc entry
- 52.3%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Sefton and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 0-18
- Headteacher
- Principal Michael Kennedy
- Pupil roll
- 818 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- St. Mary's College, Everest Road, Crosby, Liverpool, Sefton
- Postcode
- L23 5TW
- Area
- Sefton
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Principal Michael Kennedy
School contact
- School phone
- 01519243926
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions phone
- 01519243926
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 0-18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Day fees
- Check school fees page
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Check school site
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 3 stages
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
-
Round 1
English, Maths, Interview
Year 7 entry assessment
Mary’s College in Year 7 is based on an informal interview, primary school report plus an entrance examination consisting of an online Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) as well as written English and Mathematics papers.
-
Round 2
Year 7 scholarship assessment
The date for our entrance examination for 2027 entry into Year 7 is Friday 13 th November 2026, with interviews taking place earlier that week (w/c Monday 9 th November) and Art, Music and Sport Scholarship assessments taking place the previous week (w/c Monday 2 nd November) .
-
Round 3
Interview
Sixth Form entry interview
Sixth Form admission is based on a combination of interview, present school report (for external applications) and performance at GCSE.
Published assessment components
English, Maths and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.
Published
-
English
-
Maths
-
Interview
Mary’s College in Year 7 is based on an informal interview, primary school report plus an entrance examination consisting of an online Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) as well as written English and Mathematics papers.
Application
Application
Key dates
Get date reminders-
Year 7 entrance examination for 2027 entry
Friday 13 November 2026
Route: 11+ / Year 7; entry year: 2027.
-
Year 7 interviews for 2027 entry
Week commencing Monday 9 November 2026
Route: 11+ / Year 7; entry year: 2027.
-
Art, Music and Sport scholarship assessments for 2027 entry
Week commencing Monday 2 November 2026
Route: 11+ / Year 7; entry year: 2027.
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 63.3 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 95.3% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 94.2% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 5.51 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 14.3% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 32.81 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 11 February 2025
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 11 February 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.
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Shortlist comparisons
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does St. Mary's College handle admissions?
St. Mary's College handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to St. Mary's College?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for St. Mary's College?
Year 7 entrance examination for 2027 entry: Friday 13 November 2026. Year 7 interviews for 2027 entry: Week commencing Monday 9 November 2026. Art, Music and Sport scholarship assessments for 2027 entry: Week commencing Monday 2 November 2026
What does the latest inspection picture look like for St. Mary's College?
St. Mary's College is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 11 February 2025.