The Priory School, Shrewsbury

In its own words: "Our expectations are that our students work hard, participate fully in school life and make good choices. These are expressed in such a way as to encourage students to judge themselves against these expectations and for students to set an example to each other."

From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome to The Priory School. The Priory School is a unique and vibrant community which epitomises all that can be achieved through a dedicated, and caring staff working tirelessly to encourage an independent and resilient student body. As soon as you enter the building you notice a very special, mutual respect between staff and students."

In 2026, pupils at The Priory School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.7 in Shropshire and 47 across England.

57% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Shropshire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 52.7.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.38: 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 39.5, against 55.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 231 families put The Priory School as their first choice and 724 named it as one of their preferences, for 168 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 66 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Priory School are Meole Brace School (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.8); Belvidere School (2.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 42.9); and Shrewsbury Academy (3.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 31.9).

The Priory School's 2026 results were higher than all 3 of them.

The Priory School is one of 14 schools run by The 3-18 Education Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 167 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 2% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

13% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Shrewsbury Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Priory School (adjacent), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Priory 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 117 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Priory School issued 108 suspensions, 12.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Priory School are Radbrook Primary School (0.4 miles), Meole Brace Church of England Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles), St George's Junior School (0.9 miles) and Woodfield Infant School & Nursery (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.