Penwortham Girls' High School, Preston

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is my privilege as Headteacher of Penwortham Girls’ High School to welcome you to our successful, and vibrant school. Founded in 1954, Penwortham Girls’ is a well-established comprehensive school which enjoys a unique status as the only non-selective, non-fee-paying girls’ school in Lancashire. We are a small, friendly, and diverse school community where everyone receives a warm welcome."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, tennis, athletics, gymnastics, badminton, cross-country and dance.

The school runs after-school care until 4:15pm.

In 2026, pupils at Penwortham Girls' High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 55.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

63% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is up from 52.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.57: pupils made well 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 50.5, against 56.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.1 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 159 families put Penwortham Girls' High School as their first choice and 480 named it as one of their preferences, for 161 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 22 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Penwortham Girls' High School are Penwortham Priory Academy (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47); All Hallows Catholic High School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 53.6); Christ The King Catholic High School (1.6 miles, Attainment 8 41); and Ashton Community Science College (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.6).

Penwortham Girls' High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Of the 159 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 20% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (66%), Asian (20%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 60 pupils (7.5%) received SEN support and 25 (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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Girls High School (by), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Penwortham Girls' 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 181 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, Penwortham Girls' High School issued 33 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Penwortham Girls' High School are Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham (0.4 miles); Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles); Penwortham Primary School (0.5 miles); and Whitefield Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.