Cowley International College
| Type | Secondary / Community school |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Hard Lane St Helens Merseyside WA10 6PN |
| Phone | 01744678030 |
| Reference Number | 104829 |
Cowley International College is experiencing significant improvements under new leadership and a supportive multi-academy trust. The school has shown marked progress in areas such as attendance, behavior, and curriculum design, indicating a strong commitment from leaders and governors to enhance students' educational experiences. However, despite these positive changes, the overall academic achievement remains inconsistent, particularly in national tests, and challenges related to pupils' attendance and progress across all subjects persist.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1498 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 51.87%
Girls: 48.13% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 40.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 7.2% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 18.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 123 | 125 | 248 |
| 8 | 152 | 123 | 275 |
| 9 | 131 | 108 | 239 |
| 10 | 137 | 108 | 245 |
| 11 | 131 | 105 | 236 |
| 12 | 71 | 91 | 162 |
| 13 | 32 | 61 | 93 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 88.9% |
| White, Other | 2.5% |
| African | 2.3% |
| Chinese | 1.4% |
| Asian, Other | 1.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.7% |
| White & Asian | 0.6% |
| Indian | 0.4% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.2% |
| Unclassified | 0.1% |
| Caribbean | 0.1% |
| Pakistani | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Needs attention |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Needs attention |
| > Post-16 Provision | Needs attention |
| Last Report Date | 10 Mar 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2026 | School inspection |
| 23 Nov 2021 | School inspection |
| 12 Oct 2016 | Full inspection |
| 26 Sep 2013 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 23 Nov 2011 | Full inspection |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 08 Dec 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 11 Jan 2007 | Full inspection |
| 13 Jan 2003 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong commitment from leaders and governors to improve the school.
- Effective safeguarding culture ensuring pupils feel safe.
- Introduction of a new personal development curriculum addressing key topics.
- Improvements in behavior and classroom engagement.
- Development of an ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent academic performance in national tests.
- Low historical attendance rates among some pupil groups.
- Inconsistencies in teaching practices leading to uneven student progress.
- Gaps in pupils' knowledge, particularly in writing.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 39.3 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 30.4% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 47.9% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 25.6 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 27.63 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C- | C | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | C- | C | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 6.5% |
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 162 | 12 |
| Third Preference | 161 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 6 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Rivington Primary School
Tennis Street North, Dentons Green, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 6LF |
0.25 miles |
|
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Rainford Road, Windle, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 6BX |
0.45 miles |
|
Queen's Park CofE/Urc Primary School
Rivington Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 4NQ |
0.65 miles |
|
St Mary & St Thomas CofE Primary School
Barton Close, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 2HS |
0.79 miles |
|
Bleak Hill Primary School
Hamilton Road, Windle, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 6HG |
0.83 miles |
|
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Devon Street
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Devon Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 4HX |
0.85 miles |
|
Parish Church of England Primary School, St Helens
Charles Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1LW |
1 miles |
|
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
Charles Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1LN |
1.02 miles |
|
St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School
Derwent Road, Haresfinch, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9AT |
1.08 miles |
|
St Julie's Catholic Primary School
Brooklands Road, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 5HG |
1.45 miles |
|
Merton Bank Primary School
Roper Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1EJ |
1.47 miles |
|
Carr Mill Primary School
Kentmere Avenue, Carr Mill, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 7PQ |
1.52 miles |
|
Eccleston Mere Primary School
Saleswood Avenue, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 5NX |
1.56 miles |
|
Ashurst Primary School
New Glade Hill, Off Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9QJ |
1.7 miles |
|
St. Mary's Blackbrook Catholic Primary School
Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9QY |
1.83 miles |
|
Allanson Street Primary School
Gaskell Street, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, Merseyside, WA9 1PL |
1.92 miles |
|
Thatto Heath Community Primary School
Hobart Street, Thatto Heath, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5QX |
2.01 miles |
|
St Austin's Catholic Primary School
Heath Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5NJ |
2.17 miles |
|
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
St Mary's School, Birchley Road, Billinge, Birchley Road, Nr Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 7QJ |
2.23 miles |
|
Nutgrove Methodist Primary School
Govett Road, Nutgrove, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5NH |
2.24 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
This Is My Education - TIME
Logic House, Central Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1UD |
0.81 miles |
|
St Helens College
Water Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1PP |
0.97 miles |
|
De La Salle School
Mill Brow, Eccleston, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA10 4QH |
1.06 miles |
|
Carmel College
Prescot Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 3AG |
1.8 miles |
|
St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy
Boardmans Lane, Blackbrook, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9BB |
1.85 miles |
|
Mill Green School
Lansbury Avenue, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1BU |
2.21 miles |
|
Lansbury Bridge School
Lansbury Avenue, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1TB |
2.27 miles |
|
Progress Arc Billinge School
Carr Mill Road, Billinge, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 7TT |
2.46 miles |
|
St Cuthbert's Catholic High School
Berrys Lane, Sutton, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 3HE |
2.55 miles |
|
The Sutton Academy
Elton Head Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5AU |
2.8 miles |
|
Outwood Academy Haydock
Clipsley Lane, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0JG |
2.98 miles |
|
Rainford High School
Higher Lane, Rainford, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 8NY |
3.24 miles |
|
A.R.T.S. Education
167a Ormskirk Road, Rainford, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 8HR |
3.37 miles |
|
The Prescot School
Knowsley Park Lane, Prescot, Liverpool, Merseyside, L34 3NB |
3.46 miles |
|
Ash Meadow School
Jubits Lane, St Helens, WA9 4RT |
3.57 miles |
|
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy
Cumber Lane, Whiston, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 2XG |
3.66 miles |
|
Rainhill High School
Warrington Road, Rainhill, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 6NY |
3.76 miles |
|
Willow Bank School
Winwick Road, St Helens, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 8DE |
3.91 miles |
|
Learn 4 Life School
64a Rectory Road, Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN4 0QD |
4.07 miles |
|
Tower College
Mill Lane, Prescot, L35 6NE |
4.09 miles |