Archbishop Temple Church of England High School
101%
Capacity
837
Pupils
3.0x
Demand
About Archbishop Temple Church of England High School
Parents are clearly voting with their feet. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering responses from September 2024 to September 2025, 73% of the 163 respondents said they would recommend Archbishop Temple to other parents. That confidence is reflected in demand for places: for 2025/26 entry, the school received 614 applications for just 207 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.97. Only 103 first-preference offers were made, so securing a place is competitive. On specific measures, 97% of parents agreed or strongly agreed there’s a good range of subjects, and 96% felt their child could take part in clubs and activities. On happiness, 82% agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy at the school. The school is a Church of England secondary for 11-16 year olds, with no sixth form, and is led by headteacher Ivan Catlow.
Academically, Archbishop Temple performs comfortably above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.22 means pupils achieve nearly a quarter of a grade more per subject than similar students nationally, and it beats the Lancashire local authority average of -0.11. In Preston, that ranks it 5th out of 11 schools. The Attainment 8 score sits at 55, and 85.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, rated it Good across all areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all scored 2. That’s a notable improvement from its previous inspection in September 2022, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall, with behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership all marked as requiring improvement.
The school is well equipped, with facilities including a library, ICT suite, science labs, music rooms, a theatre, art studios, a gymnasium, a chapel, and an astro turf. Sports on offer include dance, netball, cricket, rowing, swimming, and basketball, and there’s a strong extracurricular programme with clubs like Coding, Chess, Film Club, Duke of Edinburgh, Debate, Eco Club, Gardening, Choir, Model UN, and Book Club. For SEND, the school supports a range of needs including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health, speech and language communication, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. 21% of parents who responded to the Parent View survey said their child has SEND, and while 63% agreed the school gives them the support they need, 34% disagreed — so it’s worth investigating that further if your child has additional needs. The school is oversubscribed, so early application is essential. It’s a strong fit for families who want a Church of England school in Preston with solid academic results and a lively club scene.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | St Vincent's Road, Preston, Preston, PR2 8RA |
| Headteacher | Ivan Catlow |
| Local Authority | Lancashire |
| Number of Pupils | 837 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 11.7% |
| School Capacity | 837 / 830 (101% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
28 Jan 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 6 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.22)
1036th of 3,141
Nationally
106th of 445
In North West
5th of 11
In Preston
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/237%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 150 pupils).
- Sixth form college59%
- FE college21%
- School sixth form (stay)7%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained2%
98% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Ofsted Parent View
163 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed207
614
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
103 families put this school as their 1st choice (17% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British62.2%
- Asian18.5%
- Mixed9.8%
- White (other)4.4%
- Black1.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
15
Total schools
13
Oversubscribed
9
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Archbishop Temple Church of England High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
St Vincent's Road, Preston
Preston, PR2 8RA
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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