Great Sankey High School, Warrington

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is my pleasure to welcome you to Great Sankey High School: a vibrant, ambitious and inclusive school where we are proud of our students, proud of our staff and proud to serve our community. As Executive Principal, I feel enormously privileged to lead Great Sankey High School."

In 2026, pupils at Great Sankey High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.7 in Warrington and 47 across England.

50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Warrington and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 50.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.32: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.9, against 51 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Religious Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 278 families put Great Sankey High School as their first choice and 583 named it as one of their preferences, for 325 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Great Sankey High School are Penketh High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 47.7); St Gregory's Catholic High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.8); Aldridge UTC Warrington (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 30.3); and Beamont Collegiate Academy (3.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.9).

Great Sankey High School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Great Sankey High School is one of 7 schools run by Omega Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 366 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 101 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 48% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 11% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

11.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 254 pupils (12.4%) received SEN support and 44 (2.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Sankey for Penketh Rail Station, about 1100 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (near), 190 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Great Sankey High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Warrington (96).

In 2024/25, Great Sankey High School issued 183 suspensions, 8.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Great Sankey High School are Barrow Hall Community Primary School (0.4 miles), Park Road Community Primary School (0.4 miles), St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles) and Chapelford Village Primary School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.