Cowley International College
Community school · sixth form · 1,514 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.3
Academy converter
Rainford High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,646of 1,650 places
- Free school meals
- 16.0%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 283
- Ofsted
- Report card, 13 January 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Rainford High Technology College (URN 104826, until 1 March 2017).
What the data says
Of the 288 pupils who finished Year 11 at Rainford High School in 2023, 46% stayed on in Rainford High School’s own sixth form (St. Helens average 18%), 17% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 50% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
Among the 83 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 34% went to university (St. Helens 31%, England 37%), and 17% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 50.6 against 46.1 across England and 41.8 in St. Helens, with 56% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in St. Helens and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Rainford High School | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 288 | 1,990 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 94% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 89% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 46% | 18% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 25% | 25% | 13% |
| — further education college | 17% | 37% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 8% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Rainford High School | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 83 | 2,392 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 75% | 74% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 34% | 31% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 17% | 17% | 19% |
| Further education | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 24% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 18% | 20% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Rainford High School | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 50.6 | 41.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 56% | 36% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 78% | 57% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 48% | 34% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.43 | 3.59 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 19% | 31% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.7 | 30.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 53.8 | 47.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 1% | 5% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 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 | 286 | 100% | 86% | 21% | 21% | 78% |
| English Language | 279 | 99% | 89% | 23% | 20% | 77% |
| Mathematics | 279 | 99% | 88% | 23% | 22% | 82% |
| Combined Science | 172 | 61% | 65% | 6% | 9% | 64% |
| Spanish | 141 | 50% | 19% | 23% | 27% | 77% |
| History | 129 | 46% | 41% | 36% | 26% | 84% |
| Geography | 114 | 40% | 41% | 31% | 25% | 72% |
| Biology | 106 | 37% | 23% | 36% | 45% | 84% |
| Physics | 103 | 36% | 23% | 30% | 46% | 77% |
| Chemistry | 103 | 36% | 23% | 29% | 47% | 81% |
| Religious Studies | 72 | 25% | 31% | 24% | 32% | 82% |
| Physical Education | 45 | 16% | 11% | 51% | 24% | 89% |
| Photography | 41 | 14% | 6% | 29% | 19% | 95% |
| Design and Technology | 36 | 13% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 53% |
| Computer Science | 31 | 11% | 13% | 16% | 30% | 77% |
| Fine Art | 23 | 8% | 9% | 22% | 28% | 78% |
| Textiles | 20 | 7% | 2% | 40% | 27% | 100% |
| Graphic Communication | 17 | 6% | 1% | 24% | 23% | 94% |
| French | 7 | 2% | 18% | 86% | 29% | 100% |
| Art and Design | 1 | 0% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multimedia | 74 | 77% | — |
| Sports Studies | 51 | 53% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 44 | 46% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 32 | 33% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 22 | 23% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 21 | 22% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Rainford High School | St. Helens | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 213 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 96 | 945 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 28.74 | 36.64 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 27 | 28% | 23% |
| Biology | 18 | 19% | 20% |
| Law | 16 | 17% | 4% |
| Mathematics | 14 | 15% | 31% |
| Religious Studies | 14 | 15% | 4% |
| Photography | 12 | 13% | 3% |
| History | 12 | 13% | 13% |
| Computer Science | 10 | 10% | 5% |
| English Language | 10 | 10% | 4% |
| Physical Education | 9 | 9% | 3% |
| Geography | 8 | 8% | 10% |
| English Literature | 8 | 8% | 11% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multimedia | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 33 | 34% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 26 | 27% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 23 | 24% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 11 | 11% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 11% | — |
| Art and Design | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 10 | 10% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 10 | 10% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 9 | 9% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 7 | 7% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 7 | 7% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 6% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Art and Design | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in St. Helens
De La Salle School
Academy sponsor led · 1,180 pupils
85% stayed in education
Hope Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,235 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.8
Outwood Academy Haydock
Academy sponsor led · 791 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.2
Rainhill High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,535 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.9
St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy
Academy sponsor led · 549 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.6
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.