A Blackburn school has been named best in the north west for academic performance.

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School and Sixth Form College (TIGHS) has been named the best comprehensive school in the north west, according to the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide.

A spokesperson for the school said the students’ “devotion to their studies” and “exceptional hard work” is a source of pride for everyone in the school community.

Other Lancashire schools, including Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, Lancaster Royal Grammar School and AKS Lytham Independent School also featured in the north west’s top 10.

The UK’s highest-achieving secondary schools are ranked by the first true set of post-pandemic examination results in the 31st edition of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide.

The guide is widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the country’s top schools.

The fully searchable national database of more than 1,000 schools by name, local authority, town and postcode, is available online from Friday, December 1 and as a print supplement with The Sunday Times which is released on Sunday, December 3. 

Schools are ranked by performance at A-level and GCSE in summer 2023. As well as an assessment of all academic results on a school-by-school basis, Parent Power enables parents to compare the performance of a given school with other schools in the same town, local authority or nationally.

There are also live links to school websites and schools’ most recent inspection reports. 

TIGHS, in Preston New Road, was named the number one comprehensive school in the north west. It ranked at number 57 in the UK.

In the ranking of top state secondary schools, including grammar and comprehensive schools, TIGHS was ranked as the fifth best in the north west. It is the best ranking in Lancashire.

Sir Hamid Patel, chief executive of Star Academies Trust, the multi-academy trust which established and operates TIGHS, said: “We are delighted that Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College has once again been rated by The Sunday Times as one of the best schools in the country.

“Our students’ devotion to their studies and their exceptional hard work is a great source of pride for everyone in the school community.

“With the support of their devoted parents and our fantastic teachers and support staff, our students consistently achieve life-changing outcomes – not only academically, but by developing good character and a commitment to serving others in our communities.”

Helen Davies, editor of Parent Power, said: “The educational landscape continues to be challenging across both the state and independent sectors, and this is the first true assessment of post-pandemic exam results.

"We believe these rankings – and all the additional information on offer in Parent Power – provide parents with a more reliable guide to academic achievement in schools today. 

“The guide showcases academic excellence but also celebrates schools who may not be right at the top but are rising, innovating and helping pupils flourish.

"Being a teenager is hard enough, and the past few years since Covid have made life even harder. It is heartening to highlight the achievements of so many students and schools across the UK. 

“This year Parent Power includes details on extracurricular clubs, wellbeing initiatives and school lunch menus – chicken katsu seems to be the dish of the day.”