St Helens College, St Helens
St Helens College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 14 to 99 in St Helens. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Helens College in detail
Where pupils go next
Of the 1206 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 10% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 30% into work.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Helens Central Rail Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
27 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rigby Street South (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Helens College stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 501 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in St. Helens (144), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 10 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
By type of provision
| Provision | Curriculum, teaching and training | Achievement | Participation and development |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education programmes for young people | Needs attention | Needs attention | Needs attention |
| Adult learning programmes | Expected standard | Needs attention | Needs attention |
| Apprenticeships | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard |
| Provision for learners and apprentices with high needs | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard |
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Expected standard
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Helens College excels at helping disadvantaged young people access education and develop real workplace skills. The college's tutors are industry experts who teach practical vocational courses exceptionally well, and the college removes barriers to learning by providing financial support, community-based courses, and individualised help. Students who complete their courses typically progress to good jobs or further study, and the college is particularly strong at partnerships with major employers like Network Rail.
Key Strengths
- Strong vocational teaching with tutors using industry experience to bring learning to life
- Effective support for disadvantaged students including financial assistance and tailored interventions
- Good employer partnerships, particularly in rail engineering, heavy goods vehicles and green energy
- Welcoming, safe and inclusive learning environments where students feel respected
- Well-designed career advice and work placement opportunities that prepare students for employment
Areas for Improvement
- Too many students leave courses early or do not achieve, with significant variation across different courses
- Quality of teaching in GCSE English and mathematics is inconsistent and sometimes poor, with insufficient progress monitoring
- Low attendance in GCSE English and mathematics that remains persistently high despite intervention strategies
- Care experienced students achieve less well than their peers, though new support is being put in place
- Some part-time teachers and support staff do not receive the same professional development opportunities as full-time staff
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with leaders and staff maintaining an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Overseas trips for young students, weekend residential course for counselling students, social action projects, fundraising activities, work placements, work-related experiences
St Helens College is a welcoming learning environment in a deprived area that works effectively with employers and community organisations to identify skills needs and support disadvantaged learners. However, the college faces challenges with student achievement and retention, particularly in GCSE English and mathematics and on some longer courses.
About
St Helens College is a further education college serving the borough of St Helens. In 2009/10 it had 2,193 full-time adult learners aged 16–18 plus another 585 part-time learners.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
c
Average grade
z
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
1
A-Level students
2024/25 academic year
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,206 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
0%
Top-third university
21%
Degree course
27%
Any L4+ destination
0%
Apprenticeships
Based on 384 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 3 nearby schools
Keep up with St Helens College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 81
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 18
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 81 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 18 serious and 63 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
17 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
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(19)
Further education and skills inspection (renewed framework)
Further education and skills inspection
Questions parents ask about St Helens College
What is St Helens College's Ofsted rating?
St Helens College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Helens College?
No fixed boundary. When St Helens College is oversubscribed, St. Helens allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to St Helens College?
Apply through St. Helens's coordinated admissions process, naming St Helens College 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 St Helens College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 81 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 18 serious and 63 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 17 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 St Helens College?
St Helens College is at Water Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1PP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)