School profile

Ribblesdale School

All-through · Community school · Clitheroe, BB7 1EJ

Good

Map showing Ribblesdale School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,365 of 3,312

Worse than 71% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Ribblesdale School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 1 Jul 2025

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseAll-through
TypeCommunity school
Ages4 to 16
Pupils1,437
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Anne-Marie Horrocks
Local authorityLancashire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 119716.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolLancashireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41.9, worse than England, worse than Lancashire45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.59.6%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.39.7%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire43.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.7.6%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths54.5%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4277--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,437
Girls729
Boys708
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.17.3%
First language not English4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,635
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.12.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.128
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.34
Average class size24.3

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
86.6%
Other White
4.6%
Pakistani
2.9%
Other Asian
1.6%
Other mixed
1%
White and Asian
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
African
0.5%
Indian
0.3%
Other Black
0.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.7
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.8
Teachers (FTE)86.1
Teaching assistants (FTE)22.53
Support staff (FTE)54.16
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2581.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2572.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.4

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.24
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.100
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.24
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.22
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.276
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.670
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.257
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.256
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)17

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolLancashireEngland
Overall absence8.3%, similar to England, similar to Lancashire8.1%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.7%, similar to England, similar to Lancashire21.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.1%, similar to England, similar to Lancashire3.5%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate4.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions2.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions4

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.93.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.77.5%
Further education57.1%
School sixth form17.1%
Apprenticeship10.4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.1%
Employment5.4%
Sixth form college2.9%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Ribblesdale School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miNurseryRibblesdale Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.2 miPrimarySt James' Church of England Primary School, ClitheroeVoluntary aided school
Good
0.2 miPrimarySt Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryClitheroe Brookside Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.5 miSecondaryClitheroe Royal Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.6 miPrimaryEdisford Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryClitheroe Pendle Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miNot applicableMoorland School LimitedOther independent school
Unrated
1.7 miPrimaryBarrow URC Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.8 miPrimaryWaddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Ribblesdale School

What is Ribblesdale School's Ofsted rating?

Ribblesdale School is rated Good, last inspected on 1 Jul 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Ribblesdale School rank in England?

Ribblesdale School ranks 2,365 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 71% of schools).

What are Ribblesdale School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 39.7% of pupils at Ribblesdale School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.9 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Ribblesdale School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Ribblesdale School made 24 offers from 100 applications (4.2 per offer), and 22 of 24 first-preference applicants got a place. For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, it made 276 offers from 670 applications (2.4 per offer), and 256 of 257 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Ribblesdale School?

Ribblesdale School has 1,437 pupils aged 4 to 16.

What is the capacity of Ribblesdale School?

Ribblesdale School had 1,635 school places in 2024/25.

Does Ribblesdale School have a sixth form?

No, Ribblesdale School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Ribblesdale School?

At Ribblesdale School, the average class had 24.3 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.7 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Ribblesdale School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Ribblesdale School missed 8.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.