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Best secondary schools in Lancashire

73 of 89 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Lancashire schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school. We hold real catchment boundaries for 37 of them.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 Preston Muslim Girls High School Preston 1.06 Outstanding improving oversubscribed 1.18 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Eden Boys' School, Preston Preston 0.84 Outstanding about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Holy Cross Catholic High School Chorley 0.75 Good about even 1.14 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 All Hallows Catholic High School Preston 0.7 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.18 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Lancaster Girls' Grammar School Lancaster grammar 0.69 Good about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 Corpus Christi Catholic High School Preston 0.67 Not judged improving oversubscribed 1.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy Lancaster 0.6 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.22 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 Lancaster Royal Grammar School Lancaster grammar 0.59 Good about even 1.12 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Penwortham Girls' High School Preston 0.57 Outstanding improving about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
10 St Michael's Church of England High School Chorley 0.56 Good oversubscribed 1.42 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 Broughton High School Preston 0.55 Outstanding improving oversubscribed 1.39 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
12 Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Clitheroe grammar 0.55 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.32 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy Leyland 0.53 Good about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 St Bede's Catholic High School Ormskirk 0.41 Not judged declining oversubscribed 1.32 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Parklands High School Chorley 0.39 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
16 Bowland High Clitheroe 0.38 Good about even 1.04 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
17 Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn Accrington 0.38 Good oversubscribed 1.31 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Rossendale grammar 0.36 Inadequate oversubscribed 1.21 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Tarleton Academy Preston 0.28 Good about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
20 Our Lady's Catholic High School Preston 0.24 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
21 Burscough Priory Academy Ormskirk hidden gem 0.23 Good undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
22 Archbishop Temple Church of England High School Preston 0.22 Not judged declining undersubscribed 0.48 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
23 St Augustine's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Clitheroe 0.19 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
24 Balshaw's Church of England High School Leyland 0.18 Good about even 1.12 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
25 Marsden Heights Community College Nelson 0.14 Good about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
26 Hutton Church of England Grammar School Preston hidden gem 0.13 Good about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
27 St Cecilia's RC High School Preston 0.12 Not judged about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
28 Pendle Vale College Nelson 0.07 Good about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
29 Saint Aidan's Church of England High School Poulton-le-Fylde 0.06 Good oversubscribed 1.22 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
30 Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School Preston 0.03 Good about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
31 Lostock Hall Academy Preston 0.0 Good improving oversubscribed 1.2 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
32 Millfield Science & Performing Arts College Thornton-Cleveleys -0.04 Good improving oversubscribed 1.45 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
33 Ashton Community Science College Preston -0.07 Good declining about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
34 Whitworth Community High School ROCHDALE -0.08 Good improving oversubscribed 1.32 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
35 Albany Academy Chorley hidden gem -0.1 Good about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
36 St Mary's Catholic High School Leyland -0.11 Good oversubscribed 1.24 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
37 Haslingden High School and Sixth Form Rossendale -0.13 Good about even 1.01 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
38 Burnley High School Burnley -0.16 Good about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
39 The Hollins Accrington -0.16 Good about even 1.01 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
40 St Bede's Catholic High School, Lytham Lytham St Annes -0.17 Not judged about even 1.08 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
41 Moor Park High School and Sixth Form Preston -0.19 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
42 Ormskirk School Ormskirk -0.2 Not judged about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
43 Unity College Burnley -0.21 Requires improvement improving about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
44 Academy@Worden Leyland -0.25 Not judged undersubscribed 0.7 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
45 Colne Park High School Colne -0.25 Good about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
46 Shuttleworth College Burnley -0.25 Not judged improving about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
47 Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School Accrington -0.26 Good oversubscribed 1.29 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
48 Carnforth High School Carnforth hidden gem -0.29 Good undersubscribed 0.74 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
49 Sir John Thursby Community College Burnley hidden gem -0.29 Good about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
50 Garstang Community Academy Preston -0.3 Requires improvement declining undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
51 Alder Grange School Rossendale -0.32 Good oversubscribed 1.25 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
52 Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Burnley -0.32 Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
53 Penwortham Priory Academy Preston -0.36 Good about even 1.09 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
54 Fulwood Academy Preston hidden gem -0.37 Good improving undersubscribed 0.7 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
55 Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Fleetwood Fleetwood hidden gem -0.42 Good about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
56 Lathom High School : A Technology College Skelmersdale -0.42 Good improving oversubscribed 1.43 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
57 Hodgson Academy Poulton-Le-Fylde -0.45 Good about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
58 Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School Colne -0.45 Requires improvement about even 1.08 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
59 Southlands High School Chorley -0.49 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.59 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
60 Our Lady's Catholic College Lancaster -0.51 Requires improvement declining undersubscribed 0.8 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
61 Bay Leadership Academy Morecambe -0.52 Good oversubscribed 1.57 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
62 Fleetwood High School FLEETWOOD -0.57 Good improving about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
63 Baines School Poulton-le-Fylde -0.59 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.63 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
64 Lancaster High School Lancaster hidden gem -0.61 Good undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
65 Accrington Academy Accrington -0.62 Not judged declining undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
66 Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School Skelmersdale -0.73 Not judged undersubscribed 0.55 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
67 Colne Primet Academy Colne -0.77 Requires improvement improving undersubscribed 0.68 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
68 Morecambe Bay Academy Morecambe hidden gem -0.77 Good undersubscribed 0.74 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
69 All Saints' Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Rossendale -0.78 Requires improvement about even 1.09 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
70 The Hyndburn Academy Blackburn hidden gem -0.78 Good about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
71 Rhyddings Accrington -0.87 Not judged undersubscribed 0.53 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
72 West Craven High School Barnoldswick -0.99 Requires improvement improving about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
73 The Valley Leadership Academy Bacup -1.08 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.41 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped

Also in Lancashire

16 further secondary schools with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Lancashire, not a fairer one.

Applying in Lancashire

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Lancashire admission criteria.

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