Rainford High School

The school used to have 4 houses, called Derby, Muncaster, Holland and Lathom.[11] However, in more recent times these houses have not been used.

In 2022, the school brought back the house system.[12] The house names are Compassion, Integrity, Determination, Endeavour and Resilience.[12] The first house event was the 2022 annual Sports Day in July 2022.[13] In January 2023, the school began to hand out House Badges (to lower school students) and House Lanyards (to staff and sixth form students). There are 5 of these, with different symbols, and colours to match the houses.

The school also operates a Sixth Form College on the same grounds, Rainford High Sixth Form. The Sixth Form shares its specialised facilities (e.g. Music Equipment and Science Labs), and teaching staff with the Rainford High School.

Each student is provided with a timetable that tells them where they should be at certain times of the day. These times are as follows:

Monday - Friday (with exceptions):

Form (Registration) - 08:50 - 09:25

Period 1 - 09:25 - 10:25

Period 2 - 10:25 - 11:25

Break - 11:25 - 11:45

Period 3 - 11:45 - 12:45

Period 4 - 12:45 - 14:15

Years 11 and 9 Lunch - 12:45 - 13:15

Year 10 Lunch - 13:15 - 13:45

Year 7 and 8 Lunch - 13:45 - 14:15

Period 5 - 14:15 - 15:15

In addition to these times, any after school and isolation sessions are timetabled:[14]

Isolation (Reflect) - 08:50 - 17:00

Isolation (Restore) - 08:50 - 16:30

After School Detention A - 15:20 - 15:45

After School Detention B - 15:45 - 16:05

After School Detention C - 16:05 - 16:25

Catch-up club (For pupils with over 5 days worth of absences) - 15:15 - 16:30[15]

The school's largest organisation was the Concert Band for brass, woodwind, and percussion players. It was open to students of all ages (including Sixth Form students) and practiced weekly in order to play in local primary schools, and also the main showpiece - the 'Music for a Summer's Evening' concert, usually held in July.

A vocal group often performed in the Summer Concert as well. This group offered musical tuition for guitar, piano, brass, percussion and woodwind in order to promote musicianship amongst its students. Sixth Formers are also involved. The group participated in a regular 'Performance Evening' as well as charity music events, such as for Children in Need 2010.

In late 2022, the Senior Leadership Team at Rainford High enforced an existing requirement for pupil's skirts to be 'knee length', as per the uniform policy.[16] The pupils at Rainford refused to follow this rule, and the SLT decided to give the chance for students and staff to come up with a compromise, which was implemented between November 2022 and February half-term.[17] However, due to 'a refusal to comply by approximately 45% of the students' this was reversed back to the knee length requirement, with the exception of Year 11 pupils, of whom's skirts would have to be one finger above the knee.[18]

When pupils returned to the school in February 2023, they were greeted by school staff waiting to check for knee-length skirts, and then sending pupils either into the school to go to form as normal or forcing them to queue up outside the auditorium, where they would then be taken into the auditorium, and would be requested to fix the issue.[17] If the pupil refused to or could not adjust their skirt to an 'appropriate length', their parents would be contacted, and they would be issued with a standards (break time) detention, with apparent threats of suspension if the issue was not resolved within a day. However, the school later denied suspending anyone for infringing the school's uniform policy.[19] A petition was created on change.org on the same day, asking for the school to stop "controlling girls skirts". Within 3 days, the petition reached over 1,000 signatures.[20]

Additionally, it is reported that the student body sent out invitations to a self-titled protest on the social media apps TikTok and Snapchat, on the next day, Wed 22nd Feb. Videos on TikTok can be seen showing what looks like a sit-in, initially starting in the south block, before moving outside. In some videos, boys can be seen wearing skirts in support of the girls.[18] There were reports of a suspected malicious fire alarm activation causing an evacuation. Students have signalled that they will continue to plan & perform protests over the issue.[18]

The Principal, Ian Young, reports that "The discourse with our young people has been positive and proactive" and that he's "delighted they have spoken with passion on this topic" but that as a school with "consistent standards and expectations" they are limited on what actions they can take.[19]

In response to the protests, on the 24th February, a St Helens Council spokesperson reported to the St Helens Star that "The council has been contacted by parents of pupils from Rainford High", and that they "have listened to their concerns and the council is working with the Academy to see how they can build relationships with the pupils, and in particular the girls."[21]

The school has won, and has been nominated for, a number of awards.

• Lee Briers, rugby league footballer for Warrington Wolves
• Lee Burkhill, British television presenter, garden designer
• Conor Coady, footballer, Everton FC
• Andrew Harrison (born 1970), CEO of Carphone Warehouse[32]
• Jonny Lomax, rugby league footballer for St. Helens
• Willy Russell, dramatist and composer[33]

• Ofsted