Classpot

Rainford High School

St. Helens, WA11 8NYSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Mar 2026
Progress 8
+0.03
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.2×
Oversubscribed
323 1st-choice / 263 places
Ranking
#1,460
of 3,141 nationally

About Rainford High School

Rainford High School has held a Good rating from Ofsted since its most recent graded inspection in 2015, and an ungraded visit in 2021 confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of 0.03, which places it comfortably above the St. Helens local authority average of -0.31. That means pupils at Rainford typically leave with slightly better GCSE results than students with similar starting points across the country, and significantly better than the average for their borough. The school ranks second out of nine secondary schools in St. Helens on this measure, putting it in the top quarter of the local league table. Attainment 8 sits at 47.8, and 72% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. The school also enters a reasonable proportion of students for the EBacc, at 41.9%, with 33.9% achieving the full suite.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressHigher Lane, St Helens, St. Helens, WA11 8NY
HeadteacherIan Young
Local AuthoritySt. Helens
Number of Pupils1,675
Free School Meals (FSM)15.5%
School Capacity1,675 / 1,650 (102% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

15 Sept 2021
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (15 Sept 2021): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 8 Apr 2015. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

13
Art StudiosScience LabsSixth Form CentreGymnasiumSports HallAstro TurfSwimming PoolPlaying FieldsICT SuiteLibraryDining HallMusic RoomsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

18

Sports

AthleticsBasketballSwimmingRowingTennisHockeyNetballRounders

Clubs & Activities

ChoirYoung EnterpriseDebateBook ClubFilm ClubOrchestraDuke of EdinburghScience ClubDramaModel United Nations

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyMulti-SensoryOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:50 – 15:15

Source: rainford.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Rainford High School

Rainford High School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.