Best Schools in St. Helens

None of the 1 graded schools in St. Helens currently holds an Outstanding rating. 1 is rated Good, so 100% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in St. Helens get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in St. Helens with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.1 and 34% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; De La Salle School, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.2 and 39% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Outwood Academy Haydock, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.9 and 44% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy De La Salle School Outwood Academy Haydock

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in St. Helens?

No. None of the state secondary schools in St. Helens selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in St. Helens have catchment areas?

Most state schools in St. Helens have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, St. Helens allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in St. Helens?

Apply to St. Helens through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.