For many pupils, secondary school is when things start to get a little more challenging.
They’ll have to start swotting for exams, and working towards their first real qualifications - their GCSEs - all while going through one of the most intensive periods of social and emotional development in a young person’s life. This is why it is so important that they go to a school can support and guide them through this tumultuous time, making sure they learn the key academic skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
We’ve created a league table ranking state-funded secondary schools from across Preston city and the wider area, using their most recently-available ‘Progress 8’ scores (currently for the 2022/23 school year, until this year’s data has been finalised and published). This is a unique figure based on GCSE results and other student achievements, which helps the government to determine how quickly students at any particular school are learning and progressing compared to their peers from similar primary schools nationwide. Any score above 0 is positive, and we’ve selected only schools with neutral scores of 0 or better.
All schools on the list also had an overall Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ before this measure was recently dropped. This means that the quality of education provided, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management, and student safeguarding were all found to either meet or exceed government standards last time the school was inspected.
Here were the ten schools that topped the list from across the Preston area:
5. All Hallows Catholic High School
This is a Catholic secondary school in Penwortham. It was also formerly rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 school year, it had a Progress 8 score of 0.27 - or ‘above average’. | Google
6. Hutton Church of England Grammar School
This is an Anglican boys’ secondary school in Hutton, southwest of the city. Despite its name, it is a comprehensive school, and was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 school year, it had a positive Progress 8 score of 0.18, placing it in the ‘average’ category. | Google
7. St Cecilia's RC High School
St Cecilia’s is a Catholic secondary school in Longridge, northeast of Preston. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 school year, it had a positive Progress 8 score of 0.11, placing it in the ‘average’ category. | Google
8. Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School
This is a Catholic secondary school in Bamber Bridge, southeast of Preston. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 school year, it had a positive Progress 8 score of 0.01, also placing it in the ‘average’ category. | Google