Rainford High School

Rainford High School is a very large secondary school in the Everyone Matters Schools Trust. The school is judged to be meeting the expected standard across all inspection areas, and safeguarding standards are met. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages at GCSE, with progress close to average, and outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND have improved over time. Attendance is strong, persistent absence is below national averages, and behaviour is typically positive and orderly. The school has a positive, inclusive culture and provides effective support for pupils with SEND and those facing disadvantage. The curriculum is generally well designed and taught, and pupils benefit from a highly effective careers programme, strong personal development, and a sixth form that offers well-matched academic and vocational courses. Staff feel well supported, governance is effective, and pupils feel safe and enjoy school. Enrichment, trips, clubs and leadership opportunities are a notable feature of school life. There are still areas to improve. Teaching does not consistently adapt learning based on how well pupils understand, and the reading curriculum is not delivered consistently enough for pupils to routinely read for pleasure. Leaders need to connect attendance, reading and engagement information more effectively to remove barriers for vulnerable pupils, and oversight of some strategic priorities is not rigorous enough. Some pupils with SEND participate less in enrichment, and A-level value added has been below national average in recent years, although leaders are refining academic delivery.

Strengths

• Inclusive culture that meets diverse needs and supports SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• GCSE attainment and progress broadly in line with national averages
• Strong attendance, with persistent absence below national averages
• Positive behaviour and a calm, orderly school atmosphere
• Well-designed curriculum with secure subject knowledge and generally effective teaching
• Effective reading support, including phonics and interventions for pupils who struggle
• Highly effective careers programme with bespoke impartial guidance
• Strong personal development programme covering British values, safety and wellbeing
• High-quality professional learning and strong staff wellbeing support
• Effective governance with a clear vision and constructive parent engagement
• Well-designed post-16 study programmes with strong SEND support
• Wide range of enrichment, trips, clubs and leadership opportunities
• Pupils feel safe, respected and well prepared for their next steps

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching does not consistently adapt learning to check and address misconceptions across some subjects and key stages
• Delivery of the reading curriculum is inconsistent, so pupils do not routinely read for pleasure
• Leaders are less clear on how attendance, reading ability and lesson engagement connect to remove barriers for vulnerable pupils
• Monitoring of some strategic priorities is not rigorous enough to show impact
• Pupils with SEND participate less frequently in enrichment activities than others
• A-level value added has been below national average in recent years
• Leaders need to help staff understand the impact of multiple vulnerabilities on pupils' achievement
• Some staff require greater consistency in applying the behaviour policy

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 Rainford High School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.6% 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, 6.9% of pupils at Rainford High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Rainford High School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.2% 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, 18.6% of pupils at Rainford High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 10.3% 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 Rainford High School received £8,244 and spent £7,156 for each of its 1,680 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £3,973,000 (£2,365 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Everyone Matters Schools Trust, income was £8,061 and spending £7,099 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 St Helens · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

Rainford High School is part of Everyone Matters Schools Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School St Helens
• Up Holland High School Wigan
• Billinge Chapel End Primary School Wigan

What is Rainford High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rainford High School is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Rainford High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rainford High School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Rainford High School have?

Rainford High School has 1,646 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rainford High School cover?

Rainford High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rainford High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.2, and 55% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rainford High School?

Rainford High School is at Higher Lane, Rainford, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 8NY.