Princes Risborough School
107%
Capacity
1,100
Pupils
2.7x
Demand
About Princes Risborough School
Princes Risborough School has turned a corner. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2022, rated the school Good overall, with every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — all landing at Good. That is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2017, when the school was judged Inadequate overall and leadership and management were also rated Inadequate. The most telling exam metric is Progress 8, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and GCSEs compared with the national average. Here the school scores -0.08, which is classed as Average. That is a solid, unflashy result, but it sits below the Buckinghamshire local authority average of +0.25. In a selective county where grammar schools dominate the top of the league tables, Princes Risborough ranks 25th out of 34 secondary schools in the area on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half locally.
Digging into the GCSE results for 2023/24, the school’s Attainment 8 score — the average grade across eight subjects — is 40.1, which equates roughly to a high 4 or low 5 grade per subject. The basics measure, showing the percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths, sits at 33.7%, while 56% achieved a grade 4 or above. The English Baccalaureate entry rate is low at 9%, and only 6% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. At A-level, the school’s 65 sixth-form students averaged a grade C per entry, with a points-per-entry score of 28.54. The value-added score for the sixth form is exactly zero, meaning students achieve in line with expectations given their prior attainment, and the progress banding is Average. The best three A-levels averaged a grade C, and 8% of entries were graded AAB or higher. These are respectable outcomes for a non-selective state school in a highly competitive grammar-heavy area.
The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 447 applications for 167 places, a ratio of 2.68 applicants per place, with 144 offers going to first-preference families. It is a mixed, non-faith secondary with a sixth form, serving 1,100 pupils — slightly over its official capacity of 1,030. Facilities include a theatre, art studios, a sixth-form centre, tennis courts, playing fields, and a gymnasium. Sports provision is broad, with rowing, swimming, and cross country alongside the usual football and rugby. There is a strong set of SEND provisions covering dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, including a resourced provision. Clubs range from Eco Club and Model UN to Young Enterprise and a newspaper. This is a school that suits families looking for a solid, improving comprehensive in a selective area, with a realistic academic profile and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Merton Road, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 0DR |
| Headteacher | Vincent Forshaw |
| Local Authority | Buckinghamshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,100 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.3% |
| School Capacity | 1,100 / 1,030 (107% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
1 Nov 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 8 Dec 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.08)
1721st of 3,141
Nationally
267th of 461
In South East
25th of 34
In Buckinghamshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
31.2
'22/23
31.9
'23/24
28.5
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2331%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 142 pupils).
- FE college42%
- School sixth form (stay)31%
- Sixth form college12%
- Employment7%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship1%
94% 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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2342%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 67 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
3%
Russell Group
3%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)42%
- Employment40%
- Not sustained10%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Geography8
- Government and Politics7
- Film Studies6
- Psychology6
- Sociology5
- English Literature4
- History4
- Business Studies:Single3
- Economics3
- English Language3
- Mathematics3
- Physics3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
21Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed167
447
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
161 families put this school as their 1st choice (36% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: princesrisborough.bucks.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British70.9%
- Asian10.2%
- White (other)7.5%
- Mixed6.7%
- Black0.1%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% 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.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Princes Risborough 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
Merton Road, Princes Risborough
Buckinghamshire, HP27 0DR
Merton Road, Princes Risborough
Buckinghamshire, HP27 0DR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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