The Sutton Academy
One in four sixth-formers go on to university — below the England rate.
of sixth-form leavers started university · St. Helens 31% · England 37% · DfE destination measures, students who left in 2023
- Ofsted
- Report card
- Places
- —
- Pupils
- 1,441
- Free school meals
- 39.1%
Ofsted: Inspected 16 June 2026 · report. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from St. Helens’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 1,550 places, including the sixth form. Free school meals: pupils eligible, a measure of family income.
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Sutton High Sports College (URN 104825, until 1 September 2010).
Where do pupils go at 16?
DfE Key Stage 4 destination measures · 207 pupils who left Year 11 in 2023
Of the 207 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Sutton Academy in 2023, 23% stayed on in The Sutton Academy’s own sixth form (St. Helens average 18%), 41% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Stayed in education — counted only if the pupil was still there for two terms of the next year; apprenticeships and jobs are counted the same way.
Full breakdown11
| Measure | The Sutton Academy | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 207 | 1,990 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 78% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 23% | 18% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 14% | 25% | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 37% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 13% | 8% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Where do sixth-formers go at 18?
DfE 16–18 destination measures · 72 students who left in 2023
29% went to university (England 37%). 7% started an apprenticeship (England 7%). 33% went into work and 15% had no steady place a year on (England 28% and 16%).
Most selective universities — the third of UK universities whose entrants hold the highest grades; the share is of students who completed level 3 qualifications.
Full breakdown7
| Measure | The Sutton Academy | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 72 | 2,392 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 75% | 74% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 29% | 31% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 3% | 17% | 19% |
| Further education | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 33% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 15% | 20% | 16% |
How do GCSE results compare?
Attainment 8 — average GCSE points across eight subjects, English and maths counted twice; grade 5 in everything scores 50.
DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · 256 pupils in Year 11
39% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (St. Helens 36%, England 45%).
Grade 5 — a “strong pass”; grade 4 is a “standard pass”. Progress 8 is not published for 2025: this cohort had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020–21, so there is no baseline.
All GCSE measures10
| Measure | The Sutton Academy | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.1 | 41.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 39% | 36% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 55% | 57% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 35% | 34% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.74 | 3.59 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 36% | 31% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.6 | 30.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 49.1 | 47.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 6% | 5% | 19% |
What do pupils study?
Mapped — the share of the 3,288 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.
DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today
Food Preparation and Nutrition stands out at GCSE — 21% of the year group took it, against 8% across England. At A level it is English Language and Literature: 32% of students (England 2%).
Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.
GCSE subjects20
Entries as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 263 | 100% | 86% | 8% | 21% | 48% |
| English Language | 255 | 100% | 89% | 21% | 20% | 64% |
| Mathematics | 254 | 99% | 88% | 18% | 22% | 64% |
| Combined Science | 186 | 73% | 65% | 11% | 9% | 61% |
| History | 121 | 47% | 41% | 23% | 26% | 59% |
| Geography | 114 | 45% | 41% | 18% | 25% | 53% |
| Spanish | 93 | 36% | 19% | 20% | 27% | 74% |
| Physics | 71 | 28% | 23% | 7% | 46% | 41% |
| Biology | 69 | 27% | 23% | 7% | 45% | 41% |
| Chemistry | 55 | 21% | 23% | 15% | 47% | 55% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 55 | 21% | 8% | 9% | 21% | 65% |
| Physical Education | 45 | 18% | 11% | 18% | 24% | 67% |
| Art and Design | 34 | 13% | 7% | 44% | 24% | 94% |
| Design and Technology | 22 | 9% | 11% | 23% | 23% | 86% |
| Computer Science | 20 | 8% | 13% | 10% | 30% | 45% |
| Music | 17 | 7% | 5% | 6% | 33% | 76% |
| Dance | 10 | 4% | 1% | 40% | 27% | 100% |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 4% | 31% | 44% | 32% | 78% |
| Sociology | 1 | 0% | 4% | — | 21% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications11
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 74 | 100% | — |
| Small Business Management | 48 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 46 | 100% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 40 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 35 | 100% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 32 | 100% | — |
| Personal Health | 15 | 79% | — |
| Sports Studies | 14 | 74% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 13 | 68% | — |
| Art and Design | 6 | 32% | — |
| Animal Care (Non-Agricultural) | 5 | 26% | — |
A level subjects7
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 10 | 53% | 23% |
| English Language and Literature | 6 | 32% | 2% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses11
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 14 | 74% | — |
| Health Studies | VRQ Level 3 | 14 | 74% | — |
| Childcare Skills | VRQ Level 3 | 8 | 42% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 8 | 42% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 37% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | 6 | 32% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 6 | 32% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
A level results8
| Measure | The Sutton Academy | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 118 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 19 | 945 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D+ | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 23.33 | 36.64 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | D+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:
Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.
Which jobs use what’s taught here?
A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.
Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.
Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works
More apprenticeships9
How do you get a place?
The last distance at which The Sutton Academy offered Year 7 places is not yet on file; it comes from St. Helens’s allocation statistics.
- 31 OctApply to St. Helens in Year 6 for a Year 7 place
- 1 MarNational Offer Day
- Dec–FebYear 11: apply directly to the sixth form; most close applications in these months
Compare with nearby schools
More St. Helens schools3
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.