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.
Area Performance
Preston schools rank in the top 52% of England
Across 160 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.13/10, -0.26 vs England.
Sixth form schools: 13 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.1/10
-0.66 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,344
-3 pts vs medianmedian 1,278
top 53% of 2,555
% A*-A at A-Level
26%
+1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
54%
+3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.1/10
-0.66 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,344
-3 pts vs medianmedian 1,278
top 53% of 2,555
% A*-A at A-Level
26%
+1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
54%
+3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Overall Oxbridge
#554
5 ranked schools · +360 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,984
Applications
91
Offers
15
Offer rate16.5%
-5.9 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
Oxford
#193
1 ranked schools · +60 places vs Eng avg #253 of 1,198
Applications
50
Offers
4
Offer rate8.0%
-7.1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 15.1%
Cambridge
#553
5 ranked schools · +220 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,881
Applications
41
Offers
11
Offer rate26.8%
-2.6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
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.
