Rainford High School
Higher Lane, St Helens, WA11 8NY
1,646 pupils · 100% of 1,650 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- EVERYONE MATTERS SCHOOLS TRUST
- Local authority
- St. Helens
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 16%
Ofsted
Expected standard (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
| Post-16 | Expected standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 13 January 2026, published 28 May 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 50.6 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 56.2% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 78.1% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 47.7% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Roughly one first choice per place — 1.21 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 258 | 312 | 609 | 258 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 263 | 323 | 682 | 263 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 270 | 320 | 626 | 270 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 275 | 340 | 617 | 275 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 267 | 322 | 603 | 267 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 283 | 285 | 613 | 283 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 278 | 291 | 615 | 278 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 288 | 343 | 621 | 288 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Up Holland High School 4.8 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Cowley International College 5.2 km · Most areas: Needs attention (2026)
- Lathom High School : A Technology College 5.9 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- De La Salle School 5.9 km · Requires improvement (2023) · previous system
- St Peter's Catholic High School 6.6 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- All Saints Catholic High School 7.1 km · Good (2021) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.