Rainhill High School, Prescot

In its own words: "Our expectation is that the behaviour and actions of Members, Trustees, Governors, staff and students reflect our mission and values daily."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Rainhill High School is an 11-18 mixed comprehensive with 1852 students, including more than 330 in the Sixth Form. The school’s mission is the ‘pursuit of excellence’ and its core values are ‘Learn, Think, Contribute, Care’. The Rainhill community values everyone equally, regardless of background or experience."

In 2026, pupils at Rainhill High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in St. Helens and 47 across England.

51% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in St. Helens and 47% in England.

That is up from 45.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.12: 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 40.9, against 52.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 30 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 269 families put Rainhill High School as their first choice and 545 named it as one of their preferences, for 292 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Rainhill High School are Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy (1.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 32.6); The Sutton Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5); Wade Deacon High School (2.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 49.2); and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9).

Rainhill High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Rainhill High School is run by its own single-school academy trust.

Of the 303 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 37% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 162 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 26% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 28% into work. 5% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

16.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Rainhill Rail Station, about 1020 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Coylton Avenue (adjacent), 110 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Rainhill High School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 56 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in St. Helens (144).

In 2024/25, Rainhill High School issued 359 suspensions, 19.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Rainhill High School are Oakdene Primary Academy (0.3 miles), St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles), St Ann's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles) and Sutton Manor Community Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.