Preston College, Preston
Preston College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Preston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Preston College in detail
Preston College in its own words
In its own words: "This reflects our longer term ambition for the College, and encompasses more than just helping people to achieve qualifications. We want to be a place that people choose to come to in order to change their lives in a positive way, whether through improved job prospects or learning new life skills."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include hockey, cricket, tennis, basketball, badminton, chess and book club.
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 7 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 7 January 2027, an open evening on Thursday 7 January 2027 and an open day on Thursday 4 March 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Lancashire
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 1142 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 12% went on to university or other higher education, 13% to apprenticeships and 33% into work. 2% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Preston College Grounds (by), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 231 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.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Preston College is a further education in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. The college originally opened as W.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
z
Average grade
z
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2023/24 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,142 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
2%
Top-third university
35%
Degree course
41%
Any L4+ destination
2%
Apprenticeships
Based on 252 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Latest from Preston College
Future Construction Professionals Connect with Industry Leaders at Preston College
24 Sep 2026
PRESTON COLLEGE CELEBRATES 100% PASS RATES ACROSS LEVEL 1 AND LEVEL 2 SUBJECTS
20 Aug 2026
Preston College Celebrates Outstanding Student Achievement on Results Day
13 Aug 2026
Preston College Secures £3.6m to Transform its Construction Centre
12 Aug 2026
Skills for Lancashire: The Ripple Effect
5 Aug 2026
Redefining Higher Education: Why a Modern Model Matters
5 Aug 2026
From Preston College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Preston College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(12)
Questions parents ask about Preston College
What is Preston College's Ofsted rating?
Preston College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023.
What is the catchment area for Preston College?
No fixed boundary. When Preston College is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Preston College?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Preston College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Preston College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Preston College?
Preston College is at Fulwood Campus, St Vincent's Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 8UR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)