Parklands High School Review 2026: A Hub of Ambition in Chorley

Parklands High School serves as a prominent cornerstone of the Chorley community, positioned on the edge of Euxton where open fields meet suburban residential streets. As a standalone academy and the founding member of the Aspirational Futures Multi Academy Trust, it has cultivated a reputation for balancing academic achievement with a broad, inclusive atmosphere. The school currently educates over 1,100 students across the 11 to 16 age range, maintaining a capacity that reflects its local popularity.

Under the leadership of Mr Steve Mitchell, who was appointed as Headteacher in September 2017, the school has focused on creating a culture of high expectations paired with strong pastoral support. The latest official assessments confirm a stable and positive environment, with the school consistently maintaining its Good status. Families are drawn to its consistent GCSE performance and the sense of individual recognition that persists despite the school's significant size.

The atmosphere at Parklands is purposeful and energetic. The school operates on a large, well maintained site featuring a mix of original structures and modern additions, including the specialist Science and Technology blocks. The motto, Learn, Respect, Aspire, Achieve, is visible not just on signage but in the conduct of the students.

There is a palpable sense of community that extends beyond the classroom. The school operates a vertical house system (Africa, Australasia, Europe, Asia, and South America), where students of different ages interact in mixed age tutor groups. This structure encourages healthy competition and a sense of belonging, with house points awarded for both academic effort and character virtues.

Leaders have worked hard to ensure that Parklands feels like a safe, supportive environment. Behaviour is consistently noted as a strength, with students generally displaying a high degree of self discipline and respect for their peers and staff.

Parklands High School delivers solid academic performance that sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). In the most recent validated data, the school achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.8, which is comfortably above the local and England averages.

Ranked 1,896th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), Parklands also holds the position of 3rd among secondary schools in Chorley. The Progress 8 score of +0.39 is particularly noteworthy; it indicates that students make significantly better progress from their primary school starting points than the average student in England. This value added metric suggests that the teaching effectively supports students of all ability levels to exceed their predicted trajectories.

While the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) entry rates and average point scores are in line with broader trends, the school’s strength lies in its ability to secure strong passes in core subjects, ensuring students are well equipped for post 16 transitions.

The curriculum at Parklands is designed to be both broad and balanced, providing a traditional academic foundation while allowing for creative and technical exploration. In the lower years, students follow a comprehensive programme that includes the humanities, performing arts, and technology alongside core subjects.

Teachers are subject specialists who utilize clear, structured lesson plans to engage students. There is a visible focus on developing literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, ensuring that students can access more complex concepts as they move toward Key Stage 4.

The school has invested in modern technology to support learning, with well equipped science laboratories and computing suites. The curriculum is adapted to support students with special educational needs (SEN), with a dedicated learning support team that ensures students with additional requirements are fully integrated into the life of the school.

As Parklands High School does not have its own sixth form, the transition at the end of Year 11 is a critical focus. The school maintains strong links with local post 16 providers, including Runshaw College, Preston College, and Cardinal Newman College.

The school’s robust careers programme, which meets the Gatsby Benchmarks, ensures that students receive impartial advice from an early stage. This includes mock interviews, career fairs, and visits to local colleges. Because of this structured support, the vast majority of leavers progress successfully into further education, apprenticeships, or employment with training.

Securing a place at Parklands High School is increasingly competitive. According to the latest admissions data, the school is significantly oversubscribed. In the most recent intake cycle, there were 773 applications for just 214 available places, resulting in a subscription proportion of 3.61.

Admissions are coordinated by Lancashire County Council. Priority is given to looked after children, siblings of current students, and those living closest to the school. Parents interested in this option can use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise distance from the school gates compared to previous intake patterns. Given that the ratio of first preferences to offers sits at 1.27, many families who list Parklands as their primary choice are successful, but the school quickly reaches capacity.

Pastoral care is a significant pillar of the Parklands experience. The house system provides the first layer of support, with House Achievement Leaders (HALs) acting as dedicated, full time staff with an overview of all students in their house. This ensures that every student is known individually and their progress is monitored closely.

The school takes a proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing. There are designated quiet spaces and a well established peer mentoring scheme. Safeguarding procedures are rigorous, and the school maintains an open relationship with families, including weekly parent drop in sessions held both in school and at community locations like Asda Chorley.

The extracurricular life at Parklands is vibrant and varied, offering students numerous ways to develop skills outside the academic curriculum.

STEM Excellence

The school encourages participation in STEM through specific initiatives such as the Lego Robotics Club and the annual Science Fair. Students often apply their classroom knowledge to real world engineering challenges.

Sport

Facilities include a large sports hall, all weather pitches, and extensive playing fields. The school is competitive in local Chorley and Lancashire leagues, particularly in football, netball, and athletics.

Creative Arts

The music department features various ensembles, including a choir and musical theatre groups. The annual school production is a major event, involving students in performance and technical theatre.

Clubs

Specific named societies found at the school include the Debating Society, Rewilding Club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

The school day typically begins at 8:45am and concludes at 3:10pm. While secondary schools do not usually offer primary style wraparound care, Parklands provides a wide array of after school clubs and out of hours learning opportunities.

The school is well served by local transport. It is within walking distance of several bus routes connecting Euxton and Chorley, and many students take advantage of the safe walking and cycling routes that serve the South Road area. On site parking is available for visitors, and the school uses digital platforms like Google Classroom and Edulink to keep parents informed of school life.

Fees & Financial Aid

As a state funded academy, Parklands High School does not charge tuition fees. Education is provided free of charge to all students aged 11 to 16.

Families should, however, budget for incidental costs such as school uniform, PE kit, and stationery. The school also offers a range of optional educational visits and trips, for which voluntary contributions are typically requested. Financial support may be available for families eligible for the Pupil Premium, which can assist with costs for trips, equipment, and uniform. Parents are encouraged to contact the school office for confidential advice regarding financial assistance for school related activities.

• High demand for places: With over three applications for every available seat, the school is heavily oversubscribed. Families living outside the immediate locality may find it difficult to secure a place unless they meet specific criteria like the sibling rule.
• No on site sixth form: Students must transition to a new environment at age 16. While the school provides excellent support for this, it requires students to be ready for a significant change after Year 11.
• Large student body: With over 1,100 students, the school environment is bustling and fast paced. While the vertical tutor groups help, students who prefer a very small or quiet setting might find the scale of Parklands a little overwhelming at first.

Parklands High School is a strong, ambitious community school that consistently delivers on its promise of academic progress and personal development. It offers a balanced secondary experience where students are pushed to achieve high GCSE marks without losing sight of their creative or sporting interests. Best suited to local families who want a school with a proven track record of value added progress and a traditional, respectful atmosphere. The primary challenge is the competitive admissions process.