Secondary schools in St. Helens
Where pupils go after Year 11 and after sixth form, school by school, with GCSE results. Destinations are for the 2023 leavers; results are from 2025.
St. Helens has 9 state-funded secondary schools. Of the 1,990 pupils who finished Year 11 here in 2023, 82% stayed in education (England 86%): 18% in a school sixth form, 25% at a sixth form college, 37% at a further education college.
3% started an apprenticeship, close to the England rate of 3%.
8% of leavers had no sustained destination six months on, more than the 6% across England.
After sixth form, 31% of students in St. Helens went to university (England 37%), and 17% of level 3 students reached one of the most selective universities (England 19%).
After Year 11: St. Helens against England
| Measure | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 1,990 | 607,348 |
| Stayed in education | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 18% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 25% | 13% |
| — further education college | 37% | 37% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 6% |
Where each school’s Year 11 leavers went
One band per school, sorted by the size of its 2023 Year 11 cohort. Band width is pupils; hover a band for the share, click a school for its profile. Counts are worked back from the percentages DfE publishes, so a band can be out by a pupil.
Map of secondary schools in St. Helens
Darker blue means a larger share of Year 11 leavers stayed in education. Click a school for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors.
State-funded secondary schools (9)
Sorted by name. Click a school for its full picture. “Stayed in education” counts school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and FE colleges together.
| School | Pupils | Stayed in education | School sixth form | FE college | Apprenticeship | To university | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley International CollegeCommunity school · sixth form | 1,514 | 80% | 39% | 33% | 3% | 39% | 39.3 | 30% |
| De La Salle SchoolAcademy sponsor led | 1,180 | 85% | 4% | 37% | 4% | — | — | — |
| Hope AcademyAcademy sponsor led | 1,235 | 80% | 4% | 39% | 5% | — | 43.8 | 33% |
| Outwood Academy HaydockAcademy sponsor led | 791 | 79% | 8% | 44% | 5% | — | 41.2 | 30% |
| Rainford High SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 1,646 | 89% | 46% | 17% | 2% | 34% | 50.6 | 56% |
| Rainhill High SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 1,535 | 86% | 20% | 30% | 2% | 34% | 45.9 | 41% |
| St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic AcademyAcademy sponsor led | 549 | 78% | 1% | 53% | 2% | — | 42.6 | 28% |
| St Cuthbert's Catholic AcademyAcademy converter | — | 75% | 1% | 61% | 1% | — | 34.5 | 25% |
| The Sutton AcademyAcademy sponsor led · sixth form | 1,441 | 78% | 23% | 41% | 4% | 29% | 43.1 | 39% |
Independent schools, colleges and special schools with published data (9)
| School | Pupils | Stayed in education | School sixth form | FE college | Apprenticeship | To university | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel Collegecollege · Further education | — | — | — | — | — | 60% | — | — |
| St Helens Collegecollege · Further education | — | — | — | — | — | 8% | — | — |
| Tower Collegeindependent · Other independent school · selective | 279 | — | — | — | — | — | 56.1 | 65% |
| A.R.T.S. Educationspecial · Other independent special school | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 12.0 | 0% |
| Learn 4 Life Schoolspecial · Other independent special school | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.9 | 0% |
| Mill Green Schoolspecial · Community special school · sixth form | 168 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% | — | — | — |
| Progress Arc Billinge Schoolspecial · Other independent special school · sixth form | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | 0.6 | 0% |
| Wargrave House Schoolspecial · Non-maintained special school | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.4 | 0% |
| Willow Bank Schoolspecial · Community special school | 70 | 55% | 0% | 45% | 0% | — | 4.8 | 0% |