Schools in St. Helens

61 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in St. Helens

Primary

Offered their first choice 90.3%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 89.5% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 97.7%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,809
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 90.3% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 97.7% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is much the same as in 2016, when it was 89.5%.

The council's primary schools between them had 2,180 places for 1,809 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 93.3%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 94.0% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 98.4%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,849
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 93.3% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 98.4% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is much the same as in 2016, when it was 94.0%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 2,109 places for 1,849 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in St. Helens lodged 103 appeals about a school place.

82 of them were heard by a panel and 19 succeeded, which is about 23 in every 100 heard.

The other 21 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

Secondary

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Cowley International College St Helens	0.88	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
De La Salle School St. Helens	1.03	-	Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Hope Academy Newton-le-Willows	0.91	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Outwood Academy Haydock St. Helens	0.91	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Rainford High School St Helens	1.21	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
Rainhill High School Prescot	0.92	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy St. Helens	0.88	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
The Sutton Academy St Helens	1.17	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in St. Helens by first preferences per place
Schools in L34 (7)
Schools in L35 (11)
Schools in WA10 (12)
Schools in WA11 (14)
Schools in WA12 (7)
Schools in WA9 (17)
Schools in WN4 (11)
Schools in WN5 (15)
What data we hold