Penwortham Girls' High School

Penwortham Girls' High School continues to excel as a highly effective educational institution, maintaining its outstanding status for education, behavior, and leadership. This is its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has revealed that the school adapts remarkably well, providing exceptional opportunities for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school fosters a strong sense of community and personal development, with students showing pride in their achievements and positive relationships with staff and peers. The curriculum is designed ambitiously, preparing pupils thoroughly for their future endeavors.

Strengths

• Exceptional academic performance significantly above the national average.
• Strong and trusting relationships between pupils and staff.
• Highly effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Extensive personal development opportunities.
• Innovative curriculum design that enhances student learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Penwortham Girls' High School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.0% of pupils at Penwortham Girls' High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Penwortham Girls' High School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.5% of pupils at Penwortham Girls' High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Penwortham Girls' High School received £8,038 and spent £7,956 for each of its 799 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £640,000 (£801 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Preston · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Penwortham Girls' High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Penwortham Girls' High School is Outstanding, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Penwortham Girls' High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Penwortham Girls' High School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Penwortham Girls' High School have?

Penwortham Girls' High School has 799 pupils on roll.

What age range does Penwortham Girls' High School cover?

Penwortham Girls' High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Penwortham Girls' High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.4, and 63% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Penwortham Girls' High School?

Penwortham Girls' High School is at Cop Lane, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0SR.