Best secondary schools in St Helens
How this list works. Ranked by the percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE, averaged over up to the last three years and weighted by the number of pupils each year. Only years with at least 10 pupils count, and a school needs at least one such year to be ranked. Independent schools, special schools and alternative provision are not ranked because their results aren't comparable. Ofsted outcomes are shown alongside but are not part of the ranking. Full methodology.
| # | School | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rainford High School Ofsted: Report card 2026: 7 expected | 52% |
| 2 | De La Salle School Ofsted: Requires improvement (2023, before conversion) ยท 2 years of results | 46% |
| 3 | The Sutton Academy Ofsted: Report card 2026: 3 strong, 4 expected | 39% |
| 4 | Outwood Academy Haydock Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) | 32% |
| 5 | St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) | 30% |
| 6 | Cowley International College Ofsted: Report card 2026: 2 expected, 5 needs attention | 29% |
| 7 | St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy Ofsted: Not yet inspected | 25% |
Result: grade 5 or above in English and maths. Source: DfE school performance tables to 2025; Ofsted inspection data.
Page updated 26 September 2026.