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Preston College, Preston

Good
Post-16
Further education
Mixed
Ages 16–99

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)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

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

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Kate Wallace
LA:Lancashire
Phone:01772225000
Address:Fulwood Campus, St Vincent's Road, Preston, PR2 8UR
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
Good

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Inspected 17 January 2023View full report

Safeguarding: effective

Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong

Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)

URN:130740
UKPRN:10005200
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Ribble Valley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

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

Chinese1
English Literature1
Sociology1

2023/24 academic year - entries by number of students

After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations

After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,142 students

Continued education20%
Higher education12%
Further education8%
Apprenticeships13%
Employment33%
Not in education/employment27%

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

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Preston College

Getting There

Bus Stops

Preston College Grounds (by)
244m · 4 min walk
Lulworth Road (opp)
307m · 5 min walk
Preston College (by)
329m · 5 min walk
Corpus Christi RCHS (by)
371m · 6 min walk
St Vincents Road (by)
399m · 6 min walk

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.

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Commute and house prices

See commute times and house prices with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - Preston

High pressure
New homes approved:6,347
Projected new pupils:1,142

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston

Across Lancashire council

Low demand council-wide0.94 applications per place

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)

17 January 2023

Further education and skills inspection

Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
15 October 2018
29 November 2016

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)

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