Helsby High School

Helsby High School remains a good school, characterized by a welcoming environment where students value friendships and enjoy their learning experiences. The strong leadership is evident in the effective measures taken to manage behavior and promote a safe atmosphere. With a comprehensive careers program, pupils successfully transition to further education and employment. While most students achieve well, the school is striving to address some challenges, particularly in supporting disadvantaged pupils and enhancing reading programs.

Strengths

• Welcoming environment where students feel safe and happy
• Effective measures in place to manage behavior and address bullying
• Comprehensive careers program supporting students' next steps
• Broad and ambitious curriculum crafted by leaders
• Teachers use strong subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum effectively
• Effective personal, social and health education curriculum
• Active engagement in community service activities by pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not implement the curriculum as intended
• Insufficient support for students struggling with reading
• Limited engagement with parents regarding their concerns

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Helsby High School attended 89.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.3% of pupils at Helsby High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Helsby High School had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.9% of pupils at Helsby High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Helsby High School received £8,203 and spent £8,387 for each of its 1,211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £345,000 (£285 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Frodsham · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

What is Helsby High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Helsby High School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Helsby High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Helsby High School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Helsby High School have?

Helsby High School has 1,211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Helsby High School cover?

Helsby High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Helsby High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.6, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Helsby High School?

Helsby High School is at Chester Road, Helsby, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 0HY.