Preston Muslim Girls High School Review 2026: Faith-centred, high-expectations education in Deepdale

Academic ambition and a strongly values-led culture sit at the centre of life here. The school is a state-funded 11 to 16 girls’ secondary with an Islamic character, serving families in and around Deepdale, Preston. The most recent inspection confirmed that it continues to be Outstanding, with a calm, respectful atmosphere and consistently high expectations for achievement and behaviour.

On outcomes, the headline is clear. Ranked 515th in England and 1st in Preston for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school performs above the England average and sits comfortably within the top 25% of secondary schools in England. Progress measures are particularly striking, suggesting that many students make rapid gains from their starting points.

Admission is competitive. For the main entry route, there were 236 applications for 119 offers, almost two applicants for every place. That context matters, because it shapes how early families should engage with the process, and how realistic it is to rely on a place without a strong application.

The defining feature is the school’s culture. It is organised around clear expectations and a coherent Islamic ethos, expressed through everyday routines, behaviour standards, and the language of personal development. The latest inspection describes a calm and respectful atmosphere, with students kind to one another and respectful towards staff and visitors.

The school places notable weight on wider development alongside academic outcomes. A structured approach to responsibility is visible in leadership pathways for students, with roles such as literacy ambassadors, prefects, and spiritual leaders providing concrete ways for students to practise service, confidence, and public contribution.

The values that students are expected to live out are consistent across formal documentation and external review. The admissions documentation frames the ethos through qualities such as patience, modesty, gratitude, humility, and sincerity, and the inspection aligns closely with this picture in its description of conduct and daily tone.

Leadership stability is another practical strength. The headteacher is Mr Rehan Patel, with his appointment recorded in December 2019. A settled leadership team often correlates with consistency in routines, curriculum implementation, and staff retention, and the inspection evidence points to staff pride and confidence in leaders’ approachability and workload management.

For an 11 to 16 secondary, parents usually want two answers: how strong are the GCSE outcomes, and how reliably does the school help students exceed their starting points. On both, the data is compelling.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

Ranked 515th in England and 1st in Preston for GCSE outcomes, placing it above the England average and within the top 25% of secondary schools in England.

The underlying attainment indicators are strong. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 59.1, a figure typically associated with consistently secure passes and a meaningful proportion of higher grades across a student cohort. EBacc outcomes also stand out, with an average EBacc APS of 5.64, well above the England comparator figure of 4.08. A Progress 8 score of 1.06 is exceptionally high in England terms, indicating students, on average, achieve more than a grade higher per subject than students with similar starting points nationally.

A small but important interpretation point: Progress 8 is designed to describe progress across eight qualifications rather than raw attainment. A high Progress 8 score often suggests that teaching, curriculum sequencing, and assessment systems are combining effectively, particularly for middle and higher attainers, but it can also reflect strong subject entry patterns such as broad EBacc participation.

Curriculum ambition is explicit. The inspection notes a suitably ambitious curriculum, with a high proportion of students studying the English Baccalaureate subject suite in Key Stage 4. For families, that usually means a curriculum that privileges academic breadth and keeps pathways open for post-16 study, even though this school does not itself run a sixth form.

The strongest teaching signal in the evidence is sequencing and checking for understanding. Lessons are described as building logically over time, with teachers clear on the concepts and knowledge students should learn, and adept at using assessment strategies to spot insecure learning and address misconceptions quickly. The implication is that students who thrive on clarity, structure, and cumulative learning tend to do particularly well in this kind of environment.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority rather than a lower-school concern. Students are encouraged to read often, make frequent use of the library, and receive targeted support where gaps are identified. That emphasis is especially relevant for families thinking beyond GCSEs, since sustained reading fluency supports performance across humanities, sciences, and extended writing subjects.

Support for students with special educational needs and or disabilities is described as early identification followed by practical guidance to staff on how best to support specific needs, with consistent implementation in lessons.

Where Students Go Next

As an 11 to 16 school, post-16 planning matters. Careers education is described as carefully designed, with meaningful encounters with the workplace intended to prepare students for next steps.

Without a sixth form on site, most students will progress to local sixth form colleges, further education providers, or school sixth forms elsewhere in the Preston area, depending on subject interests and entry requirements. A practical implication for families is that post-16 planning should start early in Year 10 or early Year 11, so that subject choices, travel logistics, and application timelines are not left to the final term.

If your priority is an integrated 11 to 18 pathway, this is not that model. If your priority is strong GCSE preparation and clear progression support into post-16 options, the evidence suggests the school takes this seriously.

The starting point is to understand both competitiveness and process.

Demand

For the main entry route, there were 236 applications for 119 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. The subscription proportion of 1.98 indicates almost two applicants per place, which is meaningful pressure for a faith-designated voluntary aided secondary.

Process and ethos

Admissions sit within Lancashire’s co-ordinated admissions arrangements for secondary transfer, with the school’s governing body acting as the admission authority and working within the county’s determined scheme. The school explicitly asks applicants to respect its Islamic ethos, while also noting that this does not affect the rights of parents who are not of Muslim faith and wish to apply.

Key dates for September 2026 entry (Lancashire timeline)

• Applications open: 01 September 2025

• National closing date: 31 October 2025

• Offers issued: 02 March 2026

Families applying should treat 31 October as a hard deadline, because late applications can reduce the likelihood of securing preferred options.

A practical tip: if you are shortlisting multiple schools, use the FindMySchool Local Hub Comparison Tool to place GCSE indicators and rankings side by side, then check the admissions criteria carefully to see where your child is most likely to secure a place.

The wellbeing picture is closely tied to behaviour culture and student confidence in reporting concerns. The inspection evidence highlights that students learn how to recognise and report bullying, and that incidents are dealt with swiftly and effectively, contributing to a strong sense of safety.

Safeguarding systems are described as effective, supported by staff training and inter-agency working when students need timely help. For parents, the implication is that the school is likely to be organised and proactive in areas such as attendance, online safety, peer-on-peer issues, and early help referrals.

Staff wellbeing is also treated as a delivery condition, not an afterthought. Staff describe leaders as approachable and considerate of workload, including adjusting deadlines after consultation. That kind of operational maturity often supports stable teaching quality.

The extracurricular offer is framed around both responsibility and enrichment.

A key element is structured leadership. Roles such as literacy ambassadors, prefects, and spiritual leaders give students a clear route to responsibility that is visible across the school community. The educational value is not simply “confidence building”, it is sustained practice in communication, reliability, and service, which tends to translate well into interview readiness and post-16 applications.

Clubs appear to be a meaningful part of lunch times. One specifically named example is art for mindfulness, referenced as part of the lunchtime club culture. This points to enrichment that is not solely performance-oriented, and may appeal to students who benefit from calm, reflective activities in the middle of a busy day.

Educational visits also contribute to wider development. A cited example is a trip to Howarth focused on learning about the Brontë sisters and resilience through adversity. Trips like this tend to support strong extended writing, contextual understanding in English and humanities, and the broader cultural capital that helps students articulate ideas confidently.

Charity and service appear as a real strand rather than a token. The inspection references students raising a considerable amount of money for charitable causes, which aligns with the school’s emphasis on values in action.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

Published information accessible from official sources does not consistently set out the school day start and finish times or wraparound arrangements in a way that can be verified here. Families should assume a conventional secondary day structure and confirm the exact timings, enrichment schedule, and any breakfast or after-school provision directly with the school before committing to travel plans.

Location-wise, the school sits in Deepdale, Preston, which generally supports local commuting by public transport, walking, and car drop-off depending on where you live. If you are weighing practical travel across multiple options, the FindMySchool Map Search is the quickest way to sanity-check journey distance and local alternatives before you shortlist.

• Admission pressure: With nearly two applicants per place on the main entry route, entry remains the primary hurdle. Families should apply on time and treat the school as a competitive option rather than a fallback.

• Faith character is central: The Islamic ethos is not superficial. Families who are unsure about a faith-centred environment should read the admissions information carefully and ensure the school’s expectations align with home values and day-to-day practice.

• No sixth form: Students move on at 16. That suits families who want a clear, planned transition into a sixth form college or alternative provider, but it is less convenient for those seeking an all-through 11 to 18 pathway.

• High expectations can feel intense: The school’s combination of ambitious curriculum design, strong behaviour culture, and high achievement expectations will suit many students, but those who prefer a more relaxed pace may find the environment demanding.

This is an Outstanding, values-led girls’ secondary with a strong record on GCSE outcomes and student progress, and a culture that prioritises calm behaviour, responsibility, and purposeful learning. It suits families seeking a faith-centred education with clear expectations, academic breadth through EBacc pathways, and a structured route to leadership and wider development. The key challenge is admission competitiveness, and the lack of a sixth form means families should plan the post-16 pathway early.