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Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

St Cecilia's RC High School

  • 11–16Ages
  • 581Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • Roman CatholicReligious character
  • 119800URN

Chapel Hill, Longridge, Preston, PR3 2XA · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jan 2025 Previous framework

No overall grade given
  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management
What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
2.7per place
close to Lancashire median (2.5)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in LancashireSelective

317 applications for 119 places · 37th of 81 in Lancashire
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
44.0of 90
41st of 81 in Lancashire
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Graded inspection · 7 January 2025Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
AreaOutstandingGoodRequires improvementInadequate
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood

Inspection history

  1. 7 January 2025
    Graded inspection, no overall grade
  2. 16 October 2019
    Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
2.7applications per place, Year 7
close to Lancashire median (2.5) 0.4 above England median (2.2)

317 applications · 119 places offered · 127 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

  1. 2026 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
  2. 2025 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
  3. 2024 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
  4. 2023 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
  5. 2022 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.5
  6. 2021 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
  7. 2020 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.8
  8. 2019 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.7
  9. 2018 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
  10. 2017 2.2; Lancashire median median 2.7
  11. 2016 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.7
  12. 2015 3.6; Lancashire median median 2.7
  13. 2014 2.3; Lancashire median median 2.6
  • This school
  • Lancashire median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20261193172.71271.07
Sep 20251202972.51351.13
Sep 20241193162.71261.06
Sep 20231203112.61331.11
Sep 2022963143.31101.15
Sep 2021992892.91131.14
Sep 2020933183.41321.42
Sep 20191102682.41060.96
Sep 2018982392.4840.86
Sep 2017922032.2810.88
Sep 2016611682.8520.85
Sep 2015411493.6350.85
Sep 2014811882.3740.91

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

104 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)44.041st of 81 in Lancashire
Grade 5 or above in English and maths39%42nd of 81 in Lancashire
Grade 4 or above in English and maths55%
  • This school
  • Lancashire median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)+0.12
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)10444.039%55%–
2024/2511546.242%59%–
2023/249645.543%62%+0.12
2022/239347.342%67%+0.11

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Voluntary aided school
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
119800 · 888/4721
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Capacity
577 pupils · 581 on roll
Free school meals
29.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address
Chapel Hill, Longridge, Preston, PR3 2XA
Local authority
Lancashire · Ribble Valley

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources