Head: James Johnstone
An accessible co-educational grammar school in Lancashire with a Inadequate Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
Pass Mark
0
Pupils
Max Score
280
Qualifying Score
207
74% of max
Cutoff Score
207
74% of max
Applications
400
Offers Made
171
Catchment, then Score
Catchment area students get priority. Within catchment, places by test score.
primarily for children who attend primary schools in Bacup, Rawtenstall and the surrounding areas
Local Authorities
Postcode Areas
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
Out-of-Area
Process
Lancashire County Council administers the appeals process on behalf of the school. Appeals cannot be made until a secondary school has been allocated.
1. Register
1 May 2026
2. Take Test
FSCE
3. Results
19 Oct 2026
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
A shared 11+ entrance exam used by 4 grammar schools, testing English, Mathematics. FSCE consortium papers. Max score: 280. Part of Star Academies trust. Involved in Star Academies' Year of Reading 2026 programme. School entrance examination held each September. Children must pass the entrance examination to be considered for a place, but passing does not guarantee a place due to over-subscription criteria. National offer day is 2nd March 2026.
Max
280
Qualifying Score
207
74% of max
Registration Opens
Registration opens for the 11+ exam
1 May 2026
Registration Deadline
Final day to register for the 11+ exam
15 Jul 2026
Open Evening
Open Evening on Thursday 10 September 2026, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm
10 Sep 2026
6:30pm
Exam Date
11+ entrance exam
19 Sep 2026
9:00am
Results Released
11+ results released to parents
19 Oct 2026
CAF Deadline
Common Application Form deadline (all LAs)
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day — places confirmed
1 Mar 2027
73.1
Attainment 8
96.6%
Grade 5+ Eng & Maths
The school's 2025 results at a glance — GCSE (Key Stage 4) and A-Level (sixth form) shown separately. Each tile shows the latest figure and how it moved on the year before.
73.1
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
97%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
100%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
96%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
7.14
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
B
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
39.5
A-Level avg points
Average point score per entry (A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40)
31.2%
AAB+ at A-Level
Achieved AAB or better in their best three A-Levels — a key benchmark for Russell Group entry
The same numbers in context — against the England state-funded average, the typical grammar school, and grammars with a similar intake.
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
Strong averages can hide gaps. These tiles split the same cohort by disadvantage and by sex — a small gap means the school delivers for everyone, not just the strongest intake.
| Metric | Disadv. | Non-dis. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 73.1 | 73.1 | +0.0 |
| E+M grade 5+ | 100% | 96% | -4pp |
| EBacc entry | 100% | 96% | -4pp |
Disadvantaged = pupils eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years, looked-after, or adopted from care. A small or zero gap is the goal — it means the school helps every pupil reach the same outcomes.
DfE breakdown, 2024/25
Whether pupils choose to stay on after GCSEs, and which way the headline results have been moving over recent years.
99%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
The end of the journey — what leavers do after sixth form, and how this school's university record compares.
Zooming in from whole-school figures to individual subjects — where entries concentrate, and which departments stand out in either direction.
Bar = entries · chip = grade 4+ pass rate
Bar = entries · chip = A*–E pass rate
Strongest at
Mathematics
175 entries
100%
+3.5pp vs school
English Language
175 entries
100%
+3.5pp vs school
Physics
166 entries
100%
+3.5pp vs school
Watch list
Combined Science
9 entries
78%
-18.7pp vs school
Physical Education
51 entries
78%
-18.1pp vs school
Strongest at
Biology
38 entries
100%
+1.0pp vs school
Psychology
25 entries
100%
+1.0pp vs school
Physics
23 entries
100%
+1.0pp vs school
Watch list
Law
15 entries
93%
-5.7pp vs school
Chemistry
45 entries
93%
-5.7pp vs school
Entry Requirements
Interview process with conditional offer based on GCSE results
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (59.2%)
Pupils of White British heritage
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian heritage
More than one heritage — e.g. White & Asian, White & Black Caribbean
Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black heritage
A single heritage outside the groups above — e.g. Arab, White non-British
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 18 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 11 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Overall Effectiveness
Inadequate
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Inadequate
Personal Development
Inadequate
Leadership & Management
Inadequate
Sixth Form
Inadequate
Scale: Inadequate → Requires Improvement → Good → Outstanding
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £335 (-5%) below the English average
Share of total spend going on staff
Typical English secondary: 75–80% on staff.
Spend per pupil per year
Most English state secondaries spend 75–80% of their budget on staff. Higher figures usually mean smaller class sizes; lower figures mean more spent on premises, supplies, or capital projects.
£4,155
Teaching Staff / pupil
£476
Educational Supplies / pupil
£346
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£1,109
The school holds a surplus per pupil — money set aside that can absorb unexpected costs or fund future projects without affecting day-to-day teaching.
Total grant: £5,805,441 · 868 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£4,909,821
The school's core allocation — pupil numbers × the basic per-pupil rate — before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£72,025
Targeted funding for 67 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£300,475
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£1,597
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£7,010
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£555,102
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£145,100
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£53,205
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£68,591
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,056 / 1,260(84%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
Interview process with conditional offer based on GCSE results
1:18.8
Staff:Pupil Ratio
98.25%
Qualified Teachers
5.03%
Absence Rate
10.58%
Persistent Absence
Sports hall and all-weather pitch available for hire
Sports
Sports hall and all-weather pitch
STEM
{"science labs":6,"IT suites":8,"technology workshops":2}
Arts
{"drama theatre":1,"music rooms":3,"art studios":2}
Library
Well-stocked library with extensive collection of books, periodicals and digital resources. Quiet study areas available, computer access for research, librarian support for students, extended opening hours during exam periods.
Capital Projects
Recent completion of new sixth form centre with modern teaching spaces and social areas. Ongoing refurbishment of science laboratories and upgrade of IT infrastructure across the school. Plans for sports facility improvements including new changing rooms.
Lancashire Cross Country Championships - earned silver medal, athletics and basketball displays
Sports
Athletics, Basketball, Cross Country
Music & Performing Arts
School Choir, Jazz Band, Orchestra
Clubs & Societies
Debating Society, Robotics Club, Chess Club
Duke of Edinburgh
Offered
Trips & Exchanges
Annual trip to France for Year 9 students, Residential trip to the Lake District for Year 10 students
Community Service
Local charity fundraising, Community volunteering projects, Reading support in primary schools, Environmental projects
Uniform
The school uniform consists of a navy blue blazer, white shirt, and grey trousers for boys. Girls wear a navy blue skirt or trousers with a white blouse. Suppliers: Tudor Uniforms, Schoolwear Solutions.
School Meals
Cashless cafeteria system using MyChildAtSchool (MCAS). Wide range of hot and cold food including Halal options. All pupils expected to remain on school premises at lunch times. Pre-order 'grab and go' sandwich bags available to avoid queues.
Homework Policy
Homework set regularly across all subjects with clear expectations. Years 7-9 typically receive 1-2 hours per night, Years 10-11 receive 2-3 hours per night, and sixth form students expected to undertake independent study equivalent to taught time.
Behaviour Policy
Tough love approach - firm but fair, applied rigorously, robustly and consistently. Uses rewards ranging from 'Well done!' to certificates, rewards trips and front-of-lunch-queue passes. Regular celebration assemblies and annual presentation evening.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones are not allowed in lessons unless specifically permitted by the teacher.
SEND Provision
The school has a dedicated SENCO and provides support for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities including learning support, exam access arrangements, and individual support plans
Bacup and Rawtenstall location. See the catchment description for its priority area.
Enter your postcode to see directions to Bacup and Rawtenstall
Route 464 from Rawtenstall, Route 465 from Bacup
Nearest Station: Bacup Railway Station
Transport Info
School is accessible by public bus services from surrounding areas including Burnley, Bury, Rochdale and Halifax. Car parking available for staff and sixth form students. Walking and cycling encouraged where possible.
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