University of Central Lancashire, Preston
University of Central Lancashire is a school for pupils in Preston.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
University of Central Lancashire in detail
University of Central Lancashire in its own words
In its own words: "The University of Lancashire is the international, multi-campus university tracing its roots back to 1828 and leading the way in modern learning today. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, you can expect a warm welcome at the University of Lancashire. You’ll be joining a thriving community of over 42,000 students and staff from more than 100 countries."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 500 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Corporation Street (cs2), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 862 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: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to be a learner with this provider?
Leaders' focus is to increase social mobility and widen participation for people in Lancashire. The apprenticeship route at UCLAN supports this. The Burnley campus provides valuable higher education opportunities for residents in East Lancashire. Many apprentices return to study after a long period, sometimes following a poor educational experience in the past. Apprentice educators and academics ensure that apprentices are very well supported to engage with higher education.
Apprentices benefit from high-quality training facilities, equipment and resources that facilitate effective learning opportunities. In health, apprentices work in simulated environments such as an ambulance, birthing suite and operating theatre, so they are well prepared for working in different settings. In the school of law and policing, apprentices practise their skills in the moot courtroom and the advice and resolutions centre. This helps apprentices to practise their skills in a safe space alongside qualified health and law professionals. Apprentices learn from their mistakes and become more confident in their own abilities.
What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders offer apprenticeships that closely align with the local and regional skills needs. They sit on a variety of boards and steering groups to provide themselves with the intelligence required to ensure that their apprenticeships feed into strategic workforce planning in the locality. Apprenticeships in nursing and health-related occupations fill the skills gaps in healthcare, which is the largest employer in the area. Social work apprenticeships support local authorities to fill their many vacancies for social workers.
Leaders and academics plan the content and teaching of their apprenticeships effectively to help apprentices learn the knowledge required in small steps. Chartered manager apprentices learn about operational strategy in business early in the apprenticeship. This helps them to understand their workplaces better before they decide on a research project linked to their employer's business. Apprentices build on their knowledge before they put it into practice at university and at work.
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from University of Central Lancashire
University led art project about public breastfeeding and motherhood comes to The Harris
1 Oct 2026
Travel support aims to make Open Day accessible to prospective students
30 Sep 2026
World anatomy day 26
28 Sep 2026
From University of Central Lancashire's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with University of Central Lancashire
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 81
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 25
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 81 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 25 serious and 56 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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
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(3)
Questions parents ask about University of Central Lancashire
What is the catchment area for University of Central Lancashire?
No fixed boundary. When University of Central Lancashire is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to University of Central Lancashire?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming University of Central Lancashire 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 University of Central Lancashire?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 81 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 25 serious and 56 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 University of Central Lancashire?
University of Central Lancashire is at Adelphi Building, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)