Carmel College, St Helens
Carmel College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in St Helens. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Carmel College in detail
Carmel College in its own words
In its own words: "Carmel College is situated on the A58 Prescot Road, next to West Park Rugby Club. It is accessible from a range of road and motorway networks. Carmel College has a “Green Travel Plan” and we would encourage visitors to consider alternatives to visiting by car with single occupancy."
From the headteacher's welcome: "From the moment you arrive you will be guided and supported by our dedicated academic and pastoral teams who, as well as being experts in their fields, are passionate about your growth and success as an individual."
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and an open day on Tuesday 19 January 2027 at 5pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in St. Helens
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 935 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 62% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 19% into work. 18% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Thatto Heath Rail Station, about 1050 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Freckleton Road (opposite), 170 metres away.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Carmel College excels at supporting students to achieve their highest potential in a caring, supportive environment where they develop strong work ethics and make rapid progress. Teachers are highly qualified subject experts who use exceptional teaching methods and assessment techniques to help students understand and remember what they learn. The college celebrates diversity through an inclusive culture where students organise cultural appreciation days and societies, preparing them well for life in modern Britain.
Key Strengths
- Students achieve exceptionally well and make outstanding progress from their starting points, with nearly all progressing to high-quality destinations including universities and apprenticeships
- Teaching is consistently very high quality with expert subject teachers using skilfully crafted lessons and thorough assessment methods to check understanding
- The college promotes an inclusive, caring culture where students feel supported and safe, with high attendance rates and very positive attitudes to learning
- Teachers expertly analyse what students know and use this to identify knowledge gaps and plan highly effective teaching
- Students benefit from a wide range of high-quality enrichment activities including sports scholarships, medical insight programmes, and cultural societies
Areas for Improvement
- Foundation learning students do not routinely receive timely opportunities to gain real-life work experience, which slows their development in transferring classroom soft skills to the working environment
- While some subject teachers effectively work with stakeholders to influence curriculum design, this practice is not yet consistent across all subjects
Safeguarding
Students feel safe at the college; they learn about local risks such as ketamine usage and county lines, know how to keep themselves safe, and are confident concerns would be dealt with swiftly.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports scholarships, medical insight programmes, sign language, gaming, Dungeons and Dragons, South Asian society, African and Caribbean Society, Latin Society, architect and engineer societies, gym, cultural appreciation days
Carmel College is a Catholic sixth-form college in St Helens serving over 2,175 students aged 16-19 from across the Liverpool City Region, offering A-levels, vocational courses, and foundation learning pathways. The college has been rated Outstanding across all areas of inspection.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
B
Average grade
39.0
Points per entry
B
Best 3 A-Levels
21%
Achieving AAB+
Above average
Value added
705
A-Level students
92%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 14 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 935 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
18%
Top-third university
71%
Degree course
76%
Any L4+ destination
2%
Apprenticeships
Based on 777 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Latest from Carmel College
Carmel College Enrichment Fair 2026
17 Sep 2026
Carmel Politics Students Experience the Heart of UK and European Politics
17 Sep 2026
Chemistry Students Celebrate Success in Cambridge Chemistry Challenge
15 Sep 2026
Beginning the Academic Year with Faith, Service and Community
10 Sep 2026
Carmel Students Gain Valuable Industry Experience with Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
7 Sep 2026
Carmel Politics Students Among First to Experience New X3 Bus Service
7 Sep 2026
From Carmel College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Carmel College
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Carmel College, with their latest published grades:
- Rathlee Nursery School - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 12 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Daydreams - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 20 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- St Matthews Pre-School - Pre-school, 0.5 milesOfsted, 10 September 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Small Wonders Day Care Nursery and Enhanced Activity Centre - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 3 July 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Portico Poppets - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 26 July 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Across St. Helens council
Places available
2,109
Applications
1,849
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across St. Helens council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
Questions parents ask about Carmel College
What is Carmel College's Ofsted rating?
Carmel College was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024.
How many road collisions happen near Carmel College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Carmel College?
Carmel College is at Prescot Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 3AG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)