St Helens College

About St Helens College

St Helens College is a large state secondary and sixth form in St Helens, with a school capacity of 1,240 places. It serves pupils from age 14 through to 99, making it an unusual institution that combines a traditional school with adult education. The school is mixed, non-religious, and does not have boarding. While the data does not include a current pupil count or free school meal percentage, the fact that the school operates across such a broad age range suggests it draws from a wide local demographic. The local authority has 11 secondary schools in total, with only one rated Outstanding — Carmel College, 2.3 km away. This context places St Helens College in a competitive local market, though the data does not provide specific admissions oversubscription figures to indicate how heavily it is sought after by families.

Academically, St Helens College delivers strong outcomes, particularly at key stage 5. In the 2023/24 academic year, its A-level students achieved an average grade of A- per entry, with 39.4 per cent of entries graded AAB or higher. The average points per entry stood at 45.22, and the best three A-levels averaged 45.29 points, also graded A-. The school’s value-added score of 0.09 places it in the ‘Average’ progress banding, meaning students perform roughly as expected given their prior attainment. At key stage 4, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 77.1, and 100 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics measure). The EBacc average point score is 6.35, though only 10.6 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. No Progress 8 score is available for comparison with the local authority average of -0.31.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite, music rooms, chapel, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is extensive, covering swimming, football, rugby, hockey, rowing, tennis, athletics, and martial arts, among others. Clubs include coding, Model UN, chess, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, science club, debate, book club, Young Enterprise, and gardening. The school also has nursery provision, which may appeal to families with younger children. With its sixth form and adult learner intake, St Helens College suits families looking for a single institution that can support a student from mid-secondary education through to A-levels and beyond, particularly those who value strong A-level outcomes and a broad extracurricular offer.

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