Mill Green School, St Helens
Mill Green School is a special school for pupils aged 14 to 19 in St Helens. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mill Green School in detail
Mill Green School in its own words
In its own words: "Mill Green School is committed to transforming the lives of young people, their families and their communities through the delivery of innovative, high-quality specialist education and support. We strive to deliver an aspirational, meaningful and personalised curriculum so that our young people build the skills, knowledge, understanding and cultural capital to transition adulthood with confidence and independence."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Mill Green School are Lansbury Bridge School (under 0.1 miles, Good); This Is My Education - TIME (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, selective); Willow Bank School (1.8 miles, Good); and Ash Meadow School (2.5 miles, Good).
Lansbury Bridge SchoolThis Is My Education - TIMEWillow Bank SchoolAsh Meadow School
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mill Green School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (75%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 36 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 3% to a further education college.
Who goes there
46.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Mill Green School has an education, health and care plan (167 of 168 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Mill Green School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Helens Central Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lansbury Avenue (near), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mill Green School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 295 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in St. Helens (144), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Mill Green School issued 23 suspensions, 15.2 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Mill Green School creates a warm, supportive environment where all pupils feel safe and cared for. The school excels at helping young people prepare for adult life through extensive vocational opportunities, outdoor learning, and real-world experiences like working in the school café or gardening business. Pupils show outstanding behaviour and positive attitudes, reflecting the school's high expectations and strong commitment to their individual needs.
Key Strengths
- Pupils display excellent behaviour and show exceptionally positive attitudes to learning
- Strong personal development programme with rich outdoor learning, vocational opportunities, award schemes and careers support
- Warm, compassionate environment where pupils feel safe, well cared for and supported
- Ambitious curriculum with different pathways towards academic and vocational qualifications
- Thorough transition planning and close working with families ensures pupils are well prepared for next steps
Areas for Improvement
- Phonics programme is in early stages and not being delivered consistently well
- Reading books are sometimes not matched to pupils' phonics knowledge, slowing progress for struggling readers
- In some subjects, curriculum content is not clearly defined about what should be taught and when
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective at the school.
Extracurricular Activities
Eco-committee, school council, outdoor learning, award schemes, disc jockey work, podcasting station, construction skills, work experience in community café, gardening business, school office and site management work
Mill Green School is a special school for pupils aged 14-19 with complex educational, health and care needs. The school has been judged as Good for quality of education, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and attitudes and personal development.
At a Glance
46.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Hearing +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Mill Green School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mill Green School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mill Green School is in St. Helens; for families living there:
Apply to St. Helens for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
5 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 counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
168 pupils
170 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - St Helens
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Helens
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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
167
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Mill Green School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
168
Total Pupils
119
Boys
49
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
5.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,986
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
25.7%
Persistent absence
74
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Mill Green School
What is Mill Green School's Ofsted rating?
Mill Green School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Mill Green School?
No fixed boundary. When Mill Green School is oversubscribed, St. Helens allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Mill Green School?
Mill Green School has around 168 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Mill Green School have specialist SEN provision?
Mill Green School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Mill Green School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Mill Green School in 2024/25. 25.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Mill Green School?
Apply through St. Helens's coordinated admissions process, naming Mill Green School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Mill Green School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 5 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 Mill Green School?
Mill Green School is at Lansbury Avenue, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1BU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)