Best Schools in Preston

How many schools are there in Preston?

Preston has 180 open schools: 123 state primary, 23 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 19 special and 7 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Preston are rated Outstanding?

23 schools in Preston were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Lancaster University School of Mathematics, Progress School, Brabins Endowed School, Penwortham Girls' High School, Cedar Lodge School and 18 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 138 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Lancaster University School of MathematicsProgress SchoolBrabins Endowed SchoolPenwortham Girls' High SchoolCedar Lodge School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Preston get the best GCSE results?

Of the 25 schools in Preston with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Preston Muslim Girls High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 61.7 and 71% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Archbishop Temple Church of England High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.9 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Broughton High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 55.5 and 67% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Preston Muslim Girls High SchoolArchbishop Temple Church of England High SchoolBroughton High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Preston have the best SATs results?

Of the 106 primary schools in Preston with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Brabins Endowed School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Garstang St Thomas' Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); and Longton Primary School (97% in reading, 100% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Brabins Endowed SchoolGarstang St Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolLongton Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Preston?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Preston selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Preston have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Preston have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Preston?

Apply to your council - Lancashire, Rochdale or Tameside, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.