Penketh High School, Warrington

Good
Secondary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 1116

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.6km)Possible (~2.3km)Unlikely (~3.0km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr John Carlin
Pupils:1,058 / 1,200 capacity
LA:Warrington
Phone:01925722298
Address:Heath Road, Penketh, Warrington, WA5 2BY
Trust:THE CHALLENGE ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 May 2017

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:145157
UKPRN:10065229
Constituency:Warrington South
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Penketh High School creates an inclusive, safe community where your child will thrive both academically and personally. Teachers are well-trained and deliver lessons designed to build essential knowledge and skills. Beyond the classroom, your child will benefit from a comprehensive enrichment programme and high-quality careers guidance from Year 7 onwards, preparing them well for their future.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils feel safe and have warm relationships with staff - they know who to speak to when worried or upset
  • All pupils participate in a wide range of enrichment activities during the school day that develop key life skills
  • Effective support for pupils with special educational needs, who progress well through the ambitious curriculum
  • Strong focus on improving reading - most pupils become fluent and confident readers
  • Good behaviour in lessons and around school due to consistent, clear systems managed by staff

Areas for Improvement

  • Assessment strategies are not consistent across all subjects, meaning some gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified or addressed quickly enough
  • Some disadvantaged pupils and those who struggle with attendance do not attend school often enough, which hinders their learning

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear systems in place and pupils knowing who to turn to for help.

Extracurricular Activities

Enrichment activities programme, careers programme from Year 7 onwards

Penketh High School has successfully maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school is an inclusive community where pupils feel safe, behave well, and benefit from an ambitious curriculum designed to help them thrive.

At a Glance

27.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

74 responses
Would recommend80%
Child is happy80%
Well taught81%
Good progress92%
Feels safe88%
Well behaved80%
Bullying dealt with18%
Kept informed85%
Handles concerns66%
Wider development80%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

24.3

Avg class size

42

Total classes

15 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Sankey for Penketh Rail Station
515m · 8 min walk
Warrington West Rail Station
917m · 15 min walk

Bus Stops

Penketh High School (o/s)
75m · 1 min walk
Sankey School (o/s)
256m · 4 min walk
Highfield Avenue (cnr)
262m · 4 min walk
The Dale (opp)
273m · 4 min walk
Police Station (o/s)
350m · 6 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

88%

Available places

1,058 pupils

1,200 capacity

142 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Warrington

Medium pressure
New homes approved:4,545
Projected new pupils:818

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Warrington

Admissions Demand - Warrington

Low demand0.92x oversubscription

Places available

2,755

Applications

2,544

Got 1st preference

91.6%

Got preferred school

98.6%

Secondary admissions across Warrington (2025/26)

Inspection History(103)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

7.7444%

Overall absence

19.78764%

Persistent absence

1,036

Enrolments

Authorised5.31471%
Unauthorised2.42969%
Persistent (10%+)19.78764%
Severe (50%+)3.76448%

Absence trend

5.82387%
18/19
5.83674%
20/21
10.30881%
21/22
8.53497%
22/23
8.28427%
23/24
7.7444%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Feeder Primary Schools

Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity

Showing 10 of 15 linked schools

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.