Schools in Preston

Once Lancashire's textile powerhouse, Preston built its identity around mills and manufacturing from the 13th century onwards, with Flemish weavers settling in the 14th century to help develop an industry that would sustain the area for centuries. The city was granted a Guild Merchant charter in 1179, giving it market-town status, before eventually earning city designation in 2002 as England's 50th city.

Ashton-on-Ribble stands among the most sought-after pockets for primary catchments within the city, with Broughton and Hutton extending the school-competitive belt through Preston's residential areas; Fulwood and Penwortham similarly draw families seeking school places. Situated on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, Preston now hosts around 148,000 residents and anchors a wider regional built-up area exceeding 300,000 people. The city remains a significant regional hub. Preston railway station connects the area onward to Manchester and Liverpool.

  • 123

    Primary

    schools

  • 25

    Secondary

    schools

  • 1

    All-through

    schools

  • 4

    Post-16

    colleges

  • 23

    Special

    schools

  • 3

    Other

    schools

of which13sixth forms·91faith·1nurseries180 total

Area Performance

Preston schools rank in the top 53% of England

Across 160 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.11/10, -0.27 vs England.

Find My School Inspection Band

12% Elite

Distribution across all Preston schools

EliteExcellentGoodDevelopingRebuilding

Preston vs England distribution

National Rank

Top 53%

Across all ranked Preston schools

Top 52%Primaryavg #7,767 of 14,978
Top 58%Secondaryavg #2,234 of 3,861
Top 53%Sixth formavg #1,344 of 2,554

Local directory

School profiles in Preston

Browse 154 local profile links across primary schools, secondary schools and sixth forms. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.

Primary schools

125 local matches

Rankings

Secondary schools

26 local matches

Rankings

Sixth forms

11 local matches

Rankings
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