Princes Risborough School
Merton Road, Princes Risborough, HP27 0DROpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Princes Risborough School is a secondary school in Princes Risborough for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 268 schools in Buckinghamshire. It ranks 29th of 36 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 1 November 2022, report published 8 December 2022
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 1 November 2022
Pupils are motivated to achieve and to be successful. They are positive about their future aspirations and enjoy school. This is because leaders' high expectations for pupils are evident in many aspects of day-to-day life. The school is a calm, orderly place. In lessons, pupils are engaged and concentrate well. They benefit from teachers' high levels of expertise. Pupils appreciate the support they get from staff, which helps them to learn well. Staff look after pupils' well-being and safety. One pupil, reflecting the views of many, described the school as, 'a community where everyone is treated as an individual'. Pupils learn to take responsibility for themselves and each other. Sixth-form students, for example, act as mentors to younger pupils. Other pupils are specially trained 'ambassadors' who support the mental health of their peers. There are opportunities for pupils to volunteer and to serve others, both in school and beyond, for example at a local food bank. Pupils respect each other and the adults with whom they work. Relationships are strong. This means that the majority of pupils are kind and considerate. However, when bullying happens or if pupils use any derogatory language, staff deal with this quickly and effectively.
What the school should improve
- Not all curriculum areas are as strong as the best. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could, therefore. In particular, the proportions of pupils achieving well in the full suite of English Baccalaureate subjects are relatively low. Leaders' high ambitions for pupils' education, already evident in many aspects of the school, should be fully realised in practice.
- Some pupils miss too much school, including in the sixth form. Although improving because of leaders' actions to date, rates of persistent absence remain relatively high for these pupils. Leaders' continued work to tackle this issue needs to address it fully and effectively.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
156 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
80 students
Average A level grade C-, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
1,083 pupils on roll, with places for 1,030
Schools near Princes Risborough School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipers Corner School | 5 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 33.9 |
| John Colet School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 47.6 |
| The Misbourne School | 6 miles | Report card: Expected standard | Attainment 8: 50.8 |
| The Mandeville School | 6 miles | Ofsted judgements: Inadequate to good | Attainment 8: 38.9 |
| The Grange School | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 40.4 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- INSIGNIS ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Vincent Forshaw
- Phone
- 01844345496
- Address
- Merton Road, Princes Risborough, HP27 0DR
- Local authority
- Buckinghamshire
- URN
- 146377
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.