School profile

Pendle Vale College

Secondary · Community school · Nelson, BB9 8LF

Good

Map showing Pendle Vale College

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,384 of 3,312

Worse than 71% of schools in England

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

Pendle Vale College Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Feb 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,046
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Oliver Handley
Local authorityLancashire
Opened01 Aug 2006
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 134989.

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.41.8, worse than England, worse than Lancashire45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.52.8%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.27.6%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire43.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.2.3%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths48.1%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4214--

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 pupils1,046
Girls464
Boys582
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.37.6%
First language not English30.2%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,137
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.8%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.121
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.44
Average class size21.6

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

Pakistani
82.5%
White British
6.5%
Other ethnic group
2.9%
White and Asian
2.3%
Other White
1.5%
White and Black African
0.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.4%
Other mixed
0.3%
Gypsy/Roma
0.2%
Other Asian
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 teacher15.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.6
Teachers (FTE)67.45
Teaching assistants (FTE)22.35
Support staff (FTE)44.79
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2566.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2562.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254

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.207
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.502
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.220
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.198
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)1

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 absence7.4%, better than England, better than Lancashire8.1%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.21.4%, similar to England, similar to Lancashire21.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.3%, better than England, better than 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 rate12.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions8%
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.90.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.89.7%
Further education89.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7%
School sixth form0.5%
Apprenticeship0.5%
Employment0.5%
Sixth form college0%

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 Pendle Vale College
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryCastercliff Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miSecondarySs John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.5 miSecondaryColne Primet AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
0.5 miPrimaryBradley Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryColne Primet Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miNurseryWalton Lane Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.7 miNurseryBradley Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryHoly Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, NelsonVoluntary aided school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryGreat Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.7 miPrimaryWalverden Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Pendle Vale College

What is Pendle Vale College's Ofsted rating?

Pendle Vale College is rated Good, last inspected on 10 Feb 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Pendle Vale College rank in England?

Pendle Vale College ranks 2,384 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 71% of schools).

What are Pendle Vale College's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 27.6% of pupils at Pendle Vale College got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.8 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Pendle Vale College?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Pendle Vale College made 207 offers from 502 applications (2.4 per offer), and 198 of 220 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Pendle Vale College?

Pendle Vale College has 1,046 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Pendle Vale College?

Pendle Vale College had 1,137 school places in 2024/25.

Does Pendle Vale College have a sixth form?

No, Pendle Vale College teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Pendle Vale College?

At Pendle Vale College, the average class had 21.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Pendle Vale College?

In 2025/26, pupils at Pendle Vale College missed 7.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 21.4% 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.