Peterhouse School is a non-maintained special school, run by a charity in Southport, Sefton, for children and young people aged 5 to 19. It supports autism.
- Ages 5–19
- 70 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Non-maintained special school
- Ages
- 5 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 70 (places for 80)
- Headteacher
- Mr Calvin Wallace (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2002
- Free school meals
- 41.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Sefton
- School reference (URN)
- 133748
Needs it supports
1 need: autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Sefton council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, April 2026: Strong standard in 5 of 7 areas
Inspected in April 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post-16Strong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Preston New Road, Churchtown, Southport, PR9 8PA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Presfield High School and Specialist College Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Marshside Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.1 miles
By need in Sefton: Autism (17) · SEMH (7) · Speech and language (7) · Moderate learning (7) · Dyslexia and SpLD (7) · Severe learning (6) · PMLD (5) · Vision (4) · Physical (4) · Hearing (3) · Multi-sensory (3)
Questions about Peterhouse School
How do I get a place at Peterhouse School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Peterhouse School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Peterhouse School support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Peterhouse School take?
Aged 5 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Peterhouse School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in April 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Peterhouse School?
Preston New Road, Churchtown, Southport, PR9 8PA, in Sefton.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.