Balshaw's Church of England High School, Leyland

In its own words: "Balshaw's Church of England High School is a school with long traditions and a reputation second to none for academic excellence. The original school was founded by a local businessman, Richard Balshaw, in 1782. The present building dates from 1931 with major additions of facilities completed in 1984 and in 2003-05."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir, art and knitting.

In 2026, pupils at Balshaw's Church of England High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

51% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 52.3.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.18: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 45.5, against 54.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 201 families put Balshaw's Church of England High School as their first choice and 630 named it as one of their preferences, for 179 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 39 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Balshaw's Church of England High School are Wellfield Academy (0.7 miles, Attainment 8 34.8); St Mary's Catholic High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 46.8); Academy@Worden (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.4); and Parklands High School (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.1).

Balshaw's Church of England High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Of the 177 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 72% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

13.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (5%).

In 2026, 58 pupils (6.3%) received SEN support and 29 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Leyland Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Balshaws CEHS (opposite), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Balshaw's Church of England High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 174 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Balshaw's Church of England High School issued 195 suspensions, 20.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Balshaw's Church of England High School are Leyland Methodist Infant School (0.4 miles), Leyland Methodist Junior School (0.4 miles), Woodlea Junior School (0.6 miles) and Leyland St Andrew's Church of England Infant School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.