The Sutton Academy

School overview

The Sutton Academy is a secondary school serving St Helens, St. Helens, classified by the DfE as a sponsor-led academy. It has 1,451 pupils aged 11 to 18 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated The Sutton Academy 'Good'. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 43.1 — broadly in line with the national average (national average: 46). Performance is little changed year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

39% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, below the national average of about 45%. 55% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. The Sutton Academy is oversubscribed: about 9 in 10 of the families who made it their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, with 298 first choices for 255 places. In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 0.75 miles from the school in a straight line, according to the council's published allocation figures; the distance changes every year with demand. After Year 11, 83% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 10.3%. There are about 15.1 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 40% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.