Best secondary schools in St. Helens
8 of 9 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all St. Helens schools · primary schools
Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.
- 5 of 9 rated Good or Outstanding
- 2 oversubscribed on first preference
- 3 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
- Median Progress 8: -0.17 (best 0.03)
| # | School | Progress 8 | Ofsted | Places | Catchment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rainford High School St Helens | 0.03 | Good | oversubscribed 1.21 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 2 | St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy St. Helens | -0.05 | Not judged | about even 0.88 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 3 | The Sutton Academy St Helens | -0.06 | Good improving | oversubscribed 1.17 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 4 | Rainhill High School Prescot hidden gem | -0.12 | Good improving | about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 5 | Hope Academy Newton-le-Willows | -0.23 | Not judged | about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 6 | Outwood Academy Haydock St. Helens | -0.28 | Not judged | about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 7 | Cowley International College St Helens hidden gem | -0.69 | Good | about even 0.88 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 8 | St Cuthbert's Catholic High School St Helens hidden gem | -1.11 | Good | about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
Also in St. Helens
1 further secondary school with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of St. Helens, not a fairer one.
- De La Salle School Ofsted: Requires improvement
Applying in St. Helens
Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.
- Secondary application deadline 2026-10-31 · 2027 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2027 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2026; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 2027-01-15 · 2027 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2027 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2027; apply via your home local authority.
- Secondary National Offer Day 2027-03-01 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
- Primary National Offer Day 2027-04-16 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
- Secondary application deadline 2027-10-31 · 2028 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2028 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2027; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 2028-01-15 · 2028 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2028 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2028; apply via your home local authority.
Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the St. Helens admission criteria.
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