School profile

Alder Grange School

Secondary · Community school · Rossendale, BB4 8HW

Requires improvement

Map showing Alder Grange School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,773 of 3,312

Worse than 83% of schools in England

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

A-level 2024/25

#2,169 of 2,536

Worse than 85% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Alder Grange School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Mar 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Post-16 provision
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils899
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Joanna Griffiths
Local authorityLancashire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 119722.

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.39.1, worse than England, worse than Lancashire45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.53.1%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.29.4%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire43.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.5.6%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths42%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4143--

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

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolLancashireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.26.71, worse than England, worse than Lancashire36.4635
Average A-level gradeC---
Average points, best three A-levels25.96, worse than England, worse than Lancashire36.7435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC---
AAB or better5.3%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire16.9%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.16, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study81--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Merit+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils899
Girls461
Boys438
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.21.8%
First language not English4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.955
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.5.9%
Sixth form places2024/25147
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.119
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.59
Average class size18.9

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
84.2%
Bangladeshi
5.6%
Pakistani
2.6%
Other mixed
1.9%
White and Asian
1.3%
Other Asian
1.1%
Other White
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.9%
Chinese
0.4%
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
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.8.5
Teachers (FTE)56.1
Teaching assistants (FTE)22.61
Support staff (FTE)67.39
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2558.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2555.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.4

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 (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.142
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.489
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.177
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.139
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)6

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 absence7.7%, similar to England, similar to Lancashire8.1%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.19.5%, better than England, better than Lancashire21.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.3%, 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 rate16.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions3

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.90.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.79.9%
School sixth form44.6%
Further education33.8%
Apprenticeship7.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.5%
Employment3.6%
Sixth form college0.7%

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

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.85.7%
Higher education40%
Employment37.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.11.4%
Apprenticeship8.6%
Further education0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 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 Alder Grange School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryRawtenstall St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt Mary's CofE Primary School RawtenstallVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, RawtenstallVoluntary aided school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryRawtenstall Balladen Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
1.2 miSecondaryAll Saints' Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.3 miNurseryStaghills Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
1.3 miPrimarySt Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, NewchurchVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
1.4 miNurseryHillside Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
1.4 miPrimarySt Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, HaslingdenVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
1.4 miPrimaryRawtenstall Newchurch Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Alder Grange School

What is Alder Grange School's Ofsted rating?

Alder Grange School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 10 Mar 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Alder Grange School rank in England?

Alder Grange School ranks 2,773 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 83% of schools) and 2,169 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 85% of schools).

What are Alder Grange School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 29.4% of pupils at Alder Grange School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.1 (England 46.2).

What are Alder Grange School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Alder Grange School was C-, and 5.3% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Alder Grange School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Alder Grange School made 142 offers from 489 applications (3.4 per offer), and 139 of 177 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Alder Grange School?

Alder Grange School has 899 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Alder Grange School?

Alder Grange School had 955 school places in 2024/25.

Does Alder Grange School have a sixth form?

Yes, Alder Grange School has a sixth form with 147 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Alder Grange School?

At Alder Grange School, the average class had 18.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Alder Grange School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Alder Grange School missed 7.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 19.5% 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.