Parklands High School, Chorley

In its own words: "The curriculum at Parklands is a broad and balanced blend of traditional, academic, vocational and 21st Century skills. In conjunction with our wider curriculum (called SECURE), we strongly believe that our provision is deep and rich, broad and balanced, ambitious and challenging."

In 2026, pupils at Parklands High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is up from 44.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.39: 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 40.9, against 52.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 239 families put Parklands High School as their first choice and 765 named it as one of their preferences, for 215 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 48 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Parklands High School are St Michael's Church of England High School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 60.6); Southlands High School (1 mile, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.4); Albany Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.1); and Holy Cross Catholic High School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 55.4).

Parklands High School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Parklands High School is one of 5 schools run by Aspirational Futures Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 220 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 76% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 160 pupils (14.5%) received SEN support and 31 (2.8%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

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

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parklands HS (by), 80 metres away.

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

In August 2026, police recorded 242 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Parklands High School issued 133 suspensions, 12 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Parklands High School are St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley (0.4 miles); Buckshaw Primary School (0.4 miles); Chorley, the Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles); and Gillibrand Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.