Balshaw's Church of England High School
Church Road, Leyland, PR25 3AHOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Balshaw's Church of England High School is a secondary school in Leyland for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 19th of 81 secondary schools in Lancashire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 2 February 2023, report published 20 March 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 2 February 2023
Pupils are happy at Balshaw's High School. They told inspectors that they are proud to attend their school. They understand the importance of respecting differences between people. They are friendly, tolerant and polite. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils know that their teachers have high standards for their academic achievement and their behaviour. The majority of pupils work hard to rise to these expectations. They behave responsibly and they achieve well. The atmosphere around school is calm and respectful. Pupils said that there is always someone to talk to if they have concerns. Leaders deal effectively with any incidents of bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils benefit from the opportunities that leaders provide for their wider development. For example, they take part in charity work to raise funds for local community projects. They keenly take on positions of responsibility to help other pupils, for example by becoming a literacy mentor or school librarian. This creates a strong sense of school community and helps pupils to develop their confidence and character.
What the school should improve
- For a small number of pupils in key stage 4, the curriculum does not allow the study of a combination of subjects which matches their interests and aspirations. Leaders should fully implement their plans to amend the curriculum so that future cohorts have access to the breadth of qualifications that more fully meets their needs.
- A small number of parents do not feel that school leaders and governors engage with them effectively in order to help them understand decisions and approaches to change. For a small number of pupils, this hinders how well leaders work with parents to support achievement and well-being. Leaders and governors should ensure that they identify barriers to parental engagement so that they can work effectively with parents to help all pupils to achieve highly.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
188 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
921 pupils on roll, with places for 925
Schools near Balshaw's Church of England High School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellfield Academy | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Attainment 8: 37.7 |
| St Mary's Catholic High School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 45.0 |
| Academy@Worden | 1 mile | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 43.2 |
| Parklands High School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 44.4 |
| St Michael's Church of England High School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 58.9 |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Steven Haycocks
- Phone
- 01772421009
- Address
- Church Road, Leyland, PR25 3AH
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- URN
- 119775
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.