School profile

Unity College

Secondary · Foundation school · Burnley, BB11 3DF

Requires improvement

Map showing Unity College

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,895 of 3,312

Worse than 87% of schools in England

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

Unity College Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 20 Feb 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Requires improvement
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFoundation school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,402 of 1,466 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Jane Richardson
Local authorityLancashire
Opened01 Aug 2006
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 135003.

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 score3845.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths47.4%63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths30.7%43.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths7%12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths44.6%59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4287--

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

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils1,402
Girls696
Boys706
Eligible for free school meals34.8%
First language not English9.6%
SEN support280
EHC plan37
Average class size23.5

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

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
80.8%
Pakistani
5.6%
Other White
4.5%
White and Asian
1.9%
African
1.5%
Other Asian
1.4%
Other ethnic group
0.9%
Other mixed
0.7%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
White and Black African
0.4%

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

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolLancashireEngland
Overall absence11.7%8.1%8%
Persistent absence33.7%21.8%21.6%
Severe absence6.8%3.5%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 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)263
Applications (Year 7)648
First preference applications (Year 7)224
First preference offers (Year 7)224
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places1,466
Pupils on roll1,424
Unfilled places2.9%

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher14.5
Pupils per adult10.1
Teachers (FTE)96.83
Teaching assistants (FTE)33.42
Support staff (FTE)73.91
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2597
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2585.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.4
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/257.4

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

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate50.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions14.5%
Permanent exclusion rate1.3%
Permanent exclusions18

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 destination87.5%
Staying in education78.7%
Further education75.7%
Not sustained6.8%
Apprenticeship5.3%
Employment3.4%
School sixth form2.7%
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 Unity College
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryBurnley Brunshaw Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryBurnley St Stephen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Requires improvement
0.5 miPrimaryBurnley Springfield Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miNurseryRockwood Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.8 miSecondaryBlessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.9 miPrimaryBurnley St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.0 miNot applicableOlive HighOther independent school
Outstanding
1.0 miNot applicableOlive High BoysOther independent school
Outstanding
1.2 miPrimaryRosewood Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Unity College

What is Unity College's Ofsted rating?

Unity College is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 20 Feb 2024.

How does Unity College rank in England?

Unity College ranks 2,895 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 87% of schools).

How many pupils attend Unity College?

Unity College has 1,402 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 1,466.

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.