Academy converter · Warrington

Penketh High School

11–16Ages
1,058Pupils
SecondaryPhase
145157URN

Heath Road, Penketh, Warrington, WA5 2BY · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodFeb 2020

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · May 2025

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

0.5 above Warrington median (1.9)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Warrington

522 applications for 216 places · 4th of 12 in Warrington

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

47.7of 90

Warrington 46.3 England 46.0

6th of 13 in Warrington

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodFeb 2020

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · May 2025

The graded inspection, 25 February 2020Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good

Inspection history

21 May 2025
Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
25 February 2020
Graded inspection: 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

2.4applications per place, Year 7

0.5 above Warrington median (1.9) close to England median (2.2)

522 applications · 216 places offered · 180 named it first

2026 2.4; Warrington median median 1.9
2025 2.5; Warrington median median 2.1
2024 2.7; Warrington median median 2.0
2023 2.3; Warrington median median 1.9
2022 2.1; Warrington median median 2.0
2021 2.3; Warrington median median 2.0
2020 2.2; Warrington median median 2.0
2019 2.1; Warrington median median 2.1
2018 2.5; Warrington median median 2.1
2017 2.3; Warrington median median 2.1; as the previous school
2016 2.4; Warrington median median 2.3; as the previous school
2015 2.5; Warrington median median 2.3; as the previous school
2014 2.6; Warrington median median 2.3; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Warrington median in 8 of 9 years.

This school
Warrington median

Dashed bars: as Penketh High School (URN 139506), Penketh High School (URN 111431), the previous school.

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.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	216	522	2.4	180	0.83
Sep 2025	220	548	2.5	200	0.91
Sep 2024	218	586	2.7	208	0.95
Sep 2023	220	494	2.3	131	0.60
Sep 2022	215	456	2.1	151	0.70
Sep 2021	179	415	2.3	120	0.67
Sep 2020	146	325	2.2	120	0.82
Sep 2019	171	352	2.1	138	0.81
Sep 2018	156	382	2.5	132	0.85
Sep 2017 *	196	450	2.3	150	0.77
Sep 2016 *	225	530	2.4	176	0.78
Sep 2015 *	202	500	2.5	162	0.80
Sep 2014 *	173	446	2.6	170	0.98

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

195 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)47.76th of 13 in Warrington

Warrington 46.3 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths48%6th of 13 in Warrington

Warrington 47% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths65%

Warrington 65% England 66%

This school
Warrington median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.22

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	195	47.7	48%	65%	–
2024/25	159	46.5	47%	65%	–
2023/24	161	45.5	44%	63%	−0.22
2022/23	150	45.2	41%	67%	−0.41

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

Penketh High SchoolThis school
This school

Standards maintained2025

2.4applications per place 47.7Attainment 8
Great Sankey High School
1.6 km · Warrington

Remains Good2023

1.8applications per place 49.9Attainment 8
St Gregory's Catholic High School
1.8 km · Warrington

Remains Good2024

2.7applications per place 53.8Attainment 8
Aldridge UTC Warrington
3.5 km · Warrington

Graded · no overall grade2024

30.3Attainment 8
Beamont Collegiate Academy
4.5 km · Warrington

Remains Good2022

1.8applications per place 45.9Attainment 8
Sandymoor Ormiston Academy
5.0 km · Halton

Good2024

2.1applications per place 43.2Attainment 8
Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School
5.5 km · Warrington

2026

2.8applications per place 46.3Attainment 8
Bridgewater High School
5.6 km · Warrington

Good2022

1.8applications per place 55.0Attainment 8
Cardinal Newman Catholic High School
5.7 km · Warrington

Good2022

1.9applications per place 45.1Attainment 8

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: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 145157 · 877/4009
Trust: The Challenge Academy Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 1,200 pupils · 1,058 on roll
Free school meals: 27.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision: Resourced provision
Opened: 1 May 2017
Replaced: Penketh High School (URN 139506); Penketh High School (URN 111431)
Address: Heath Road, Penketh, Warrington, WA5 2BY
Local authority: Warrington

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