Penwortham Priory Academy

Penwortham Priory Academy is a rapidly improving school that has made significant strides since its previous inspection, which rated it as requiring improvement. Currently rated as good overall, the school has shown advancements in the quality of education, with pupils feeling happy and safe. Leadership is ambitious for all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. The academy has implemented effective measures to enhance learning experiences and improve examination results, particularly in core subjects like English and mathematics, where most students now achieve in line with national averages. While the school has many strengths, challenges remain, especially in subjects such as history and science, where improvements are not as pronounced. The proportion of pupils entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is notably low, indicating further work is needed to ensure that all students have access to a broad range of academic qualifications. Attendance rates for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are also a concern and need to be addressed to support the achievements of these groups effectively.

Strengths

• Ambitious leadership focused on all pupils' success
• Significant improvements in education quality
• Pupils are happy, feel safe, and are well-behaved
• Curriculum enhances learning in core subjects
• Strong extra-curricular opportunities
• Pupils with SEND are well supported and integrated
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent improvement across subjects
• Low entry rates for the English Baccalaureate
• Attendance issues for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND

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 Priory Academy attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.0% 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, 8.9% of pupils at Penwortham Priory Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 pupils were 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 Priory Academy had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 12.9% of pupils at Penwortham Priory Academy 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 2024–25 Penwortham Priory Academy received £8,503 and spent £8,311 for each of its 747 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £901,000 (£1,206 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Penwortham Priory Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Penwortham Priory Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Penwortham Priory Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Penwortham Priory Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Penwortham Priory Academy have?

Penwortham Priory Academy has 745 pupils on roll.

What age range does Penwortham Priory Academy cover?

Penwortham Priory Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Penwortham Priory Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.0, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Penwortham Priory Academy?

Penwortham Priory Academy is at Crow Hills Road, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0JE.