Moor Park High School, Preston

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Moor Park High School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard, 3 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have prioritised improving pupils' behaviour and attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Pupils, including the above-average proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel a clear sense of belonging to this nurturing school community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a culture which promotes diversity and difference."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders provide suitable study programmes for the small number of Year 13 students who attend the school's sixth form."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' attainment in national tests at the end of key stage 4 has been low."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is appropriately ambitious and well organised in each subject."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Very recently, there have been some changes in the school's senior leadership."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is embedded across the school so that all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and high prior-attaining pupils, learn and achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment information effectively in order to address any gaps in pupils' knowledge"; "Leaders, including governors, should continue the work that has just begun to strengthen their systems for evaluating the implementation and impact of the curriculum, so that they can more accurately and precisely identify areas for development and drive improvement".

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is a privilege to lead a community defined by high expectations, strong values, and a relentless commitment to excellence. We believe every child is entitled to the best learning opportunities and an education that challenges them to think deeply, work hard, and achieve highly."

In 2026, pupils at Moor Park High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

29% 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 39.3.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.19: pupils made below 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 30.5, against 46.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 141 families put Moor Park High School as their first choice and 446 named it as one of their preferences, for 127 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 29 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Moor Park High School are Preston Muslim Girls High School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 61.7); Eden Boys' School, Preston (0.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 54.5); Archbishop Temple Church of England High School (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 56.9); and Corpus Christi Catholic High School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.1).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Moor Park High School.

26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Moor Park High School (as of April 2026): 73% would recommend the school, 81% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).

Of the 108 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 26 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 50% went on to university or other higher education and 27% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

39.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 26.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (42%), White British (35%) and Mixed (8%).

In 2026, 56 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 33 (5.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

Moor Park High School had 46 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moor Park HS (outside), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Moor Park High School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 878 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Moor Park High School issued 95 suspensions, 15.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Moor Park High School are Deepdale Community Primary School (0.1 miles); St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Preston (0.3 miles); St Ignatius' Catholic Primary School, Preston (0.5 miles); and Kennington Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.