Rainhill High School

Rainhill High School has made significant strides since its previous inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across all areas of evaluation. The school's leaders have established high expectations for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, and have implemented ambitious curriculums that support students' academic success. Most pupils express a positive school experience, feeling safe and respected. However, some concerns remain regarding bullying and attendance, particularly among disadvantaged students, which can impact their overall academic achievement. This was the first routine inspection since the pandemic, providing a fresh perspective on the school's performance post-COVID.

Strengths

• High expectations for all pupils, including disadvantaged students.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum across most subjects.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Effective safeguarding and support systems in place for staff and students.
• Positive school environment where most pupils feel safe and respected.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers lack the confidence to deliver aspects of the curriculum effectively.
• Attendance issues among a small proportion of pupils, particularly disadvantaged students.
• Inadequate oversight by governance of off-site sixth-form provisions.

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 Rainhill High School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.3% 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, 7.9% of pupils at Rainhill High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Rainhill High School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.1% 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, 14.8% of pupils at Rainhill High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 2024–25 Rainhill High School received £7,649 and spent £7,187 for each of its 1,812 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,878,000 (£1,036 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Prescot · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

What is Rainhill High School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Rainhill High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rainhill High School was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Rainhill High School have?

Rainhill High School has 1,535 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rainhill High School cover?

Rainhill High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rainhill High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.3, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rainhill High School?

Rainhill High School is at Warrington Road, Rainhill, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 6NY.