Parrenthorn High School

About Parrenthorn High School

Parrenthorn High School is a mixed state secondary in Bury that is clearly in demand. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 410 applications for 202 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.03, with 197 of those applications coming from first-preference families. Of those, 193 received offers, meaning the school is heavily oversubscribed and parents need to rank it highly to stand a chance. The school’s capacity is 202 pupils across its 11-16 age range, and while the data doesn’t give a specific free school meals percentage, the local context suggests Parrenthorn serves a broadly representative intake. The school has no sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16. Its religious character is listed as “does not apply,” and the headteacher is Christopher Bell. The school has moved decisively forward since its previous Ofsted inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement; in March 2023 it was graded Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership.

Academically, Parrenthorn is performing well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.21 is significantly higher than the Bury local authority average of -0.02, placing it 5th out of 14 schools in the borough and 109th out of 445 in the North West. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 49.2, and 71.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, compared to 50.5% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 32.4%, with 24.5% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. Progress in English (0.12) and maths (0.17) is positive, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is rated “Above average.” In its most recent Ofsted inspection, the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all judged Good. The school has no sixth form provision, so all results reflect GCSE outcomes only.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a theatre, sports hall, science labs, art studios, and playing fields, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include football, rugby, cricket, gymnastics, and martial arts, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Model UN to coding, gardening, and an orchestra. SEND provisions are comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes Parrenthorn a strong option for families in Bury who want a well-regarded, oversubscribed secondary with good academic outcomes and a broad co-curricular offer. The lack of a sixth form means parents will need to plan for post-16 options elsewhere, but for a mainstream 11-16 school with strong progress scores and a Good Ofsted, it is a compelling choice.

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