Moor Park High School and Sixth Form

About Moor Park High School and Sixth Form

Moor Park High School and Sixth Form in Preston is a mixed state secondary that serves a notably diverse intake. With 603 pupils on roll against a capacity of 636, the school is operating close to its maximum but still has some room. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 45.2%, which is significantly above the national average and reflects the school's role in a community with higher-than-average economic disadvantage. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 452 applications for 129 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.5. Of those, 125 were first-preference applications, and 105 first-preference offers were made, indicating that while the school is popular, not every family who wants a place gets one. The school has no religious character and is non-selective, so its intake is drawn from the local area without academic filtering.

Academically, Moor Park presents a mixed picture. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated the school Good overall, with all inspected categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — all rated Good. This represents a clear improvement from the previous inspection in 2018, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. At Key Stage 4, the school's Progress 8 score is -0.19, which is below the Lancashire local authority average of -0.11. This places Moor Park 8th out of 11 schools in Preston on this measure, and in the bottom 50% nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 38.9, and 50.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is low at 20.4%, and only 14.8% achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At A-level, the picture is more challenging: the school's value-added score is -0.98, classed as well below average, with an average grade of D- per entry.

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a theatre, ICT suite, tennis courts, astro turf, swimming pool, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is broad, covering hockey, rounders, martial arts, dance, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, cricket, and badminton, while clubs include Young Enterprise, coding, eco club, Model UN, gardening, and a newspaper group. SEND support is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. For families considering Moor Park, the school is clearly popular locally despite its academic results being below the LA average. It may suit families who prioritise a broad curriculum and strong pastoral support over top-tier exam outcomes, and who value the convenience of an on-site sixth form. The high FSM percentage and oversubscription suggest a school that is well-embedded in its community.

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