Carmel College

About Carmel College

Carmel College, a Roman Catholic secondary school in St. Helens for students aged 16 to 99, received an Outstanding rating across every category in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, including quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.38 is the strongest in the local authority, placing it first out of nine schools in St. Helens and well above the local authority average of -0.31. This score, which measures how much progress pupils make between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, is also classified as 'Above average' nationally, ranking in the top 22 per cent of all schools in England. In the North West region, Carmel sits 70th out of 445 schools. With an Attainment 8 score of 53.6 and 82.9 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, the school’s academic story is one of consistently strong performance.

At GCSE, Carmel’s EBacc average point score stands at 4.89, and nearly three-quarters of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects. The school also performs well at A-level, with a value-added score of 0.06 and an average points per entry of 37.4, equivalent to a B- grade. The best three A-levels average out at a B- grade as well, and 20.4 per cent of entries achieved at least an AAB. The sixth form provision was rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 90 per cent of respondents would recommend the school, and 73 per cent strongly agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. In the Parent View survey, 91 per cent of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 90 per cent felt their child does well there.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 528 applications for 217 places, with 281 first-preference applications and 215 first-preference offers. This gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.43. Facilities include a theatre, library, gymnasium, science labs, a sixth form centre, sports hall, playing fields, ICT suite, music rooms, and a chapel. The school offers a wide range of sports, from rowing and hockey to martial arts and netball, and clubs include Debate, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provisions cover eight areas, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Carmel College is a good fit for families who want a high-performing, oversubscribed Catholic school with a strong sixth form and a clear track record of academic progress above the local and national average.

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