Cowley International College
Hard Lane, St Helens, WA10 6PN
1,514 pupils · 93% of 1,620 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Community school
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Local authority
- St. Helens
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 37.5%
Ofsted
Needs attention (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Needs attention |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
| Post-16 | Needs attention |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 10 March 2026, published 30 April 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 39.3 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 30.4% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 48.3% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 53.3% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.88 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 243 | 213 | 481 | 238 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 242 | 236 | 559 | 242 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 244 | 244 | 546 | 244 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 277 | 250 | 552 | 277 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 243 | 267 | 509 | 243 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 246 | 255 | 542 | 246 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 247 | 276 | 541 | 247 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 248 | 320 | 559 | 248 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- De La Salle School 1.7 km · Requires improvement (2023) · previous system
- St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy 3 km · No overall grade (2024)
- St Cuthbert's Catholic High School 4.1 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- The Sutton Academy 4.5 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Outwood Academy Haydock 4.8 km · No overall grade (2024)
- Rainford High School 5.2 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.