Priestley College
One in three students go on to university — above the England rate.
of 16–18 leavers started university · Warrington 32% · England 37% · DfE destination measures, students who left in 2023
- Ofsted
- —
- Students
- 0
- Free school meals
- 0.0%
Ofsted: Not covered by Ofsted school inspections. Students: of 2,250 places. Free school meals: pupils eligible, a measure of family income.
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Priestley College (URN 130624, until 25 April 2017).
Where do pupils go at 16?
The Department for Education has not published destination figures for this school (new school, small cohort or not a state-funded school).
Where do sixth-formers go at 18?
DfE 16–18 destination measures · 1,046 students who left in 2023
42% went to university (England 37%). 9% started an apprenticeship (England 7%). 30% went into work and 9% had no steady place a year on (England 28% and 16%).
Most selective universities — the third of UK universities whose entrants hold the highest grades; the share is of students who completed level 3 qualifications.
Full breakdown7
| Measure | Priestley College | Warrington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 1,046 | 2,251 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 81% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 42% | 32% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 11% | 12% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 30% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 14% | 16% |
Which universities did they go to?
Named universities — most schools do not publish this; the official DfE figures above only say how many went to university and how selective those universities were.
universities’ answers to sch.today’s Freedom of Information requests · request tracker
What universities’ own admissions data say3
For each entry year: how many of this school’s students applied, received an offer and enrolled. Counts under five are shown as “<5” to protect individuals. Applications exclude Clearing; enrolments are students who completed registration.
| University | Entry year | Applied | Offers | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Bristol | 2025 | 15 | 9 | <5 |
| 2024 | 22 | 16 | <5 | |
| 2023 | 29 | 17 | <5 |
A university’s enrolment count and a school’s own destinations list can differ: the school counts places accepted in the summer, the university counts students registered in the autumn.
What do pupils study?
Mapped — the share of the 1,259 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.
DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today
Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.
A level subjects41
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology | 89 | 12% | 13% |
| History | 84 | 11% | 13% |
| Psychology | 80 | 11% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 70 | 9% | 31% |
| Business Studies | 68 | 9% | 13% |
| Geography | 52 | 7% | 10% |
| Law | 42 | 6% | 4% |
| Biology | 40 | 5% | 20% |
| English Literature | 39 | 5% | 11% |
| Physics | 37 | 5% | 12% |
| Classical Civilisation | 36 | 5% | 1% |
| English Language | 33 | 4% | 4% |
| Media Studies | 33 | 4% | 4% |
| Fine Art | 32 | 4% | 3% |
| Politics | 32 | 4% | 6% |
| English Language and Literature | 31 | 4% | 2% |
| Physical Education | 27 | 4% | 3% |
| Chemistry | 25 | 3% | 17% |
| Photography | 24 | 3% | 3% |
| 3D Design | 22 | 3% | 1% |
| Film Studies | 22 | 3% | 2% |
| Computer Science | 22 | 3% | 5% |
| Graphic Communication | 21 | 3% | 2% |
| Economics | 20 | 3% | 13% |
| Religious Studies | 18 | 2% | 4% |
| Environmental Science | 15 | 2% | 1% |
| Drama | 15 | 2% | 2% |
| Product Design | 14 | 2% | 2% |
| Philosophy | 14 | 2% | 1% |
| Textiles | 14 | 2% | 1% |
| Dance | 10 | 1% | 0% |
| German | 9 | 1% | 0% |
| Electronics | 9 | 1% | 0% |
| Further Mathematics | 7 | 1% | 5% |
| French | 6 | 1% | 1% |
| Music | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| Geology | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
| Chinese | — | — | 0% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses99
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 204 | 27% | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | 161 | 22% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 160 | 21% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | 149 | 20% | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | 120 | 16% | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 120 | 16% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 113 | 15% | — |
| Law | GCE AS level (All) | 98 | 13% | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (All) | 80 | 11% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 78 | 10% | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 72 | 10% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 70 | 9% | — |
| Media Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 64 | 9% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | 62 | 8% | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (All) | 59 | 8% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | 58 | 8% | — |
| Law | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 56 | 7% | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (All) | 55 | 7% | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 52 | 7% | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (All) | 49 | 7% | — |
| Fine Art | GCE AS level (All) | 46 | 6% | — |
| Classical Civilisation | GCE AS level (All) | 46 | 6% | — |
| Film Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 45 | 6% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 44 | 6% | — |
| Photography | GCE AS level (All) | 43 | 6% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 43 | 6% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 42 | 6% | — |
| Physical Education | GCE AS level (All) | 41 | 5% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | 41 | 5% | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (All) | 40 | 5% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 40 | 5% | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | 39 | 5% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 38 | 5% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 37 | 5% | — |
| 3D Design | GCE AS level (All) | 37 | 5% | — |
| English Language and Literature | GCE AS level (All) | 37 | 5% | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 37 | 5% | — |
| Graphic Communication | GCE AS level (All) | 36 | 5% | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 36 | 5% | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 35 | 5% | — |
| Childcare Skills | VRQ Level 3 | 35 | 5% | — |
| Religious Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 35 | 5% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 34 | 5% | — |
| Biology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 31 | 4% | — |
| Media Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 31 | 4% | — |
| Product Design | GCE AS level (All) | 29 | 4% | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 28 | 4% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 27 | 4% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 27 | 4% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | 26 | 3% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 26 | 3% | — |
| Drama | GCE AS level (All) | 24 | 3% | — |
| Textiles | GCE AS level (All) | 23 | 3% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | 23 | 3% | — |
| Film Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 23 | 3% | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (All) | 22 | 3% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 21 | 3% | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 20 | 3% | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | 19 | 3% | — |
| Photography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 19 | 3% | — |
| Electronics | GCE AS level (All) | 19 | 3% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 18 | 2% | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 18 | 2% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 17 | 2% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 17 | 2% | — |
| Religious Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 17 | 2% | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 17 | 2% | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 16 | 2% | — |
| 3D Design | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 15 | 2% | — |
| Graphic Communication | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 15 | 2% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 15 | 2% | — |
| Product Design | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 15 | 2% | — |
| Fine Art | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 14 | 2% | — |
| Geology | GCE AS level (All) | 14 | 2% | — |
| Physical Education | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 14 | 2% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 13 | 2% | — |
| French | GCE AS level (All) | 12 | 2% | — |
| Computing and IT Advanced Technician | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 12 | 2% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 1% | — |
| German | GCE AS level (All) | 10 | 1% | — |
| Electronics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 10 | 1% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | 10 | 1% | — |
| Classical Civilisation | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 10 | 1% | — |
| Drama | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 9 | 1% | — |
| Textiles | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 9 | 1% | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 8 | 1% | — |
| Geology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 8 | 1% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 8 | 1% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | 7 | 1% | — |
| English Language and Literature | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 6 | 1% | — |
| French | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 6 | 1% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| German | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Music | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
A level results8
| Measure | Priestley College | Warrington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 2,069 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 747 | 1,021 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 30.17 | 32.10 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 7% | 13% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:
Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.
Which jobs use what’s taught here?
A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.
Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.
Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works
More apprenticeships9
How do you get a place?
Admission is by application to the provider, usually against GCSE grades for each course; there is no distance rule.
- Dec–FebYear 11: apply directly; most close applications in these months
- AugGCSE results day: places are confirmed against the entry grades
Compare with nearby schools
More Warrington schools3
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.