Ashton Community Science CollegePenwortham Priory Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Preston.
Summary of the comparison
Ashton Community Science College and Penwortham Priory Academy are secondary schools in Preston.
Ashton Community Science College scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Penwortham Priory Academy scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Ashton Community Science College is ahead on our composite score.
Ashton Community Science College was judged Good and Penwortham Priory Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 47.6 for Ashton Community Science College and 47.0 for Penwortham Priory Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Ashton Community Science College (44.5 in 2021-22, 47.6 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Penwortham Priory Academy (49.7 in 2021-22, 47.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PrestonAshton Community Science College | PrestonPenwortham Priory Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C58/100Stronger figure | D52/100 | |
| Local ranking | 36th of 82 in Lancashire Stronger figure | 48th of 82 in Lancashire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Community school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 837 | 745 | |
| Capacity | 800 | 750 | |
| Location | Preston, PR2 1SL | Preston, PR1 0JE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 47.6 Stronger figure | 47.0 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 48.0% | 49.6% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 66.5% Stronger figure | 64.5% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 179 | 141 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 868 | 744 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 37.4% | 26.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 12.1% | 5.4% | |
| SEN support | 14.9% | 11.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 5.3% | 2.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.8% Stronger figure | 8.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.9% Stronger figure | 25.0% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Ashton Community Science College
Penwortham Priory Academy
Full profiles: Ashton Community Science College · Penwortham Priory Academy