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Community school · St. Helens

Cowley International College

  • 11–18Ages
  • 1,514Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • Sixth formAges 16–18
  • 104829URN

Hard Lane, St Helens, WA10 6PN · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
2.0per place
close to St. Helens median (2.1)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in St. Helens

481 applications for 243 places · 6th of 8 in St. Helens
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
40.3of 90
8th of 8 in St. Helens
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Report card · inspected 10 March 2026Published 30 April 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionNeeds attention
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionNeeds attention
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 10 March 2026
    Report card · 2 Expected standard, 5 Needs attention
  2. 24 November 2021
    Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
2.0applications per place, Year 7
close to St. Helens median (2.1) 0.3 below England median (2.2)

481 applications · 243 places offered · 213 named it first

  1. 2026 2.0; St. Helens median median 2.1
  2. 2025 2.3; St. Helens median median 2.2
  3. 2024 2.2; St. Helens median median 1.9
  4. 2023 2.0; St. Helens median median 1.8
  5. 2022 2.1; St. Helens median median 1.7
  6. 2021 2.2; St. Helens median median 1.9
  7. 2020 2.2; St. Helens median median 2.0
  8. 2019 2.3; St. Helens median median 1.9
  9. 2018 1.9; St. Helens median median 1.9
  10. 2017 1.8; St. Helens median median 1.5
  11. 2016 2.3; St. Helens median median 1.5
  12. 2015 2.4; St. Helens median median 1.6
  13. 2014 2.4; St. Helens median median 1.6
More applications per place than the St. Helens median in 12 of 13 years.
  • This school
  • St. Helens median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20262434812.02130.88
Sep 20252425592.32360.98
Sep 20242445462.22441.00
Sep 20232775522.02500.90
Sep 20222435092.12671.10
Sep 20212465422.22551.04
Sep 20202475412.22761.12
Sep 20192485592.33201.29
Sep 20182504751.92511.00
Sep 20172504561.82410.96
Sep 20162405402.32370.99
Sep 20152395612.42471.03
Sep 20142405812.42611.09

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

242 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)40.38th of 8 in St. Helens
Grade 5 or above in English and maths33%8th of 8 in St. Helens
Grade 4 or above in English and maths55%
  • This school
  • St. Helens median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.69
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)24240.333%55%–
2024/2524039.330%48%–
2023/2424441.729%54%−0.69
2022/2324539.927%50%−0.77

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Community school
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
104829 · 342/4101
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Capacity
1,620 pupils · 1,514 on roll
Free school meals
37.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened
1 January 1900
Address
Hard Lane, St Helens, WA10 6PN
Local authority
St. Helens

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources