School profile

Great Sankey High School

Secondary · Academy converter · Warrington, WA5 3AA

Good

Map showing Great Sankey High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#999 of 3,312

Better than 69% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,001 of 2,536

Better than 60% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Great Sankey High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 20 Sept 2017

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils2,051
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Dan Whieldon
TrustOMEGA MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityWarrington
Opened01 Jan 2013
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139152.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.49.948.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.73.8%68.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.49.7%49.9%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.15.5%14.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths67.6%64.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4374--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.35.3532.135
Average A-level gradeB---
Average points, best three A-levels37.2633.8635.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB---
AAB or better29%13.2%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.16--
A-level progressAbove average--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study117--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census. School places come from the DfE capacity survey and do not include nursery, so unfilled places compare them with pupils outside nursery.

MeasureThis school
Pupils2,051
Girls983
Boys1,068
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.11.4%
First language not English18%
School places2024/252,275
Unfilled places9.8%
Sixth form places2024/25400
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.254
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.44
Average class size21.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
74.2%
Chinese
11.7%
Pakistani
2.5%
Other White
2%
White and Asian
1.7%
Other Asian
1.7%
African
1.4%
Other mixed
1.3%
Indian
1.3%
Other ethnic group
0.6%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.2
Teachers (FTE)125.14
Teaching assistants (FTE)21.49
Support staff (FTE)73.26
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25126.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25110.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/258.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.325
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.583
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.278
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.278
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)17

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Overall absence7%7.3%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.17.2%18.6%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.4%3.1%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate8.8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions3.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.94%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.89.1%
Further education38.5%
School sixth form26.2%
Sixth form college23.8%
Apprenticeship4.4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.3.6%
Employment0.5%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.83.2%
Higher education47.5%
Employment21.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.12.9%
Apprenticeship5.9%
Further education2%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Great Sankey High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryBarrow Hall Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryPark Road Community Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryChapelford Village Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miSecondaryPenketh High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryPenketh Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryGreat Sankey Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.3 miPrimarySt Philip (Westbrook) CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.4 miPrimarySankey Valley St James Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.4 miPrimarySt Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Great Sankey High School

What is Great Sankey High School's Ofsted rating?

Great Sankey High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 20 Sept 2017.

How does Great Sankey High School rank in England?

Great Sankey High School ranks 999 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 69% of schools) and 1,001 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 60% of schools).

What are Great Sankey High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 49.7% of pupils at Great Sankey High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 49.9 (England 46.2).

What are Great Sankey High School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Great Sankey High School was B-, and 29% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Great Sankey High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Great Sankey High School made 325 offers from 583 applications (1.8 per offer), and 278 of 278 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Great Sankey High School?

Great Sankey High School has 2,051 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Great Sankey High School?

Great Sankey High School had 2,275 school places in 2024/25.

Does Great Sankey High School have a sixth form?

Yes, Great Sankey High School has a sixth form with 400 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Great Sankey High School?

At Great Sankey High School, the average class had 21.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Great Sankey High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Great Sankey High School missed 7% of sessions (England 8%), and 17.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.