School profile

Accrington Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Accrington, BB5 4FF

Requires improvement

Map showing Accrington Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,678 of 3,312

Worse than 80% of schools in England

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

A-level 2023/24

#2,036 of 2,487

Worse than 81% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Accrington Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 4 Mar 2025

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Sixth form provision
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils953
GenderMixed
Religious characterChristian
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Oliver Walker
TrustUNITED LEARNING TRUST
Local authorityLancashire
Opened01 Sept 2008
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 135649.

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.39.8, worse than England, worse than Lancashire45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.50.8%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.37%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire43.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.7.4%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths46.6%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4189--

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.Suppressed36.4635
Average A-level gradec--
Average grade, best three A-levelsz--
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.02, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study37--
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 pupils953
Girls492
Boys461
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.42%
First language not English22.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,150
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.17.1%
Sixth form places2024/25250
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.109
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.25
Average class size24.8

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
57.6%
Pakistani
29.4%
Other Asian
2.4%
White and Asian
2.1%
Other White
2%
Other mixed
1.3%
African
1%
Bangladeshi
0.9%
Other ethnic group
0.7%
White and Black African
0.6%

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 teacher19.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.2
Teachers (FTE)50
Teaching assistants (FTE)8.29
Support staff (FTE)44.32
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2560.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2543.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/259.6

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.199
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.500
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.165
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.158
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 absence11.3%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire8.1%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.32.5%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire21.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.6.2%, worse than England, worse 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 rate21.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.8%
Permanent exclusions8

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.91%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.84%
Further education77.1%
School sixth form6.4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.4%
Apprenticeship4.8%
Employment2.1%
Sixth form college0.5%

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.82.5%
Higher education52.6%
Employment21.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.10.5%
Apprenticeship7%
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 Accrington Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miSecondaryAccrington St Christopher's Church of England High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryAccrington St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Requires improvement
0.5 miPrimaryAccrington Hyndburn Park Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.5 miPrimarySt Nicholas Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryAccrington St John with St Augustine Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.7 miNot applicableThe Alternative SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.8 miPrimaryAccrington Peel Park Primary SchoolFoundation school
Requires improvement
0.8 miPrimarySacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, ChurchVoluntary aided school
Requires improvement
0.9 miPrimaryClayton-le-Moors Mount Pleasant Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryAccrington Benjamin Hargreaves Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Inadequate

Frequently asked questions about Accrington Academy

What is Accrington Academy's Ofsted rating?

Accrington Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 4 Mar 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Accrington Academy rank in England?

Accrington Academy ranks 2,678 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 80% of schools) and 2,036 of 2,487 schools in England for A-level 2023/24 (worse than 81% of schools).

What are Accrington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 37% of pupils at Accrington Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.8 (England 46.2).

What are Accrington Academy's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Accrington Academy was c.

How hard is it to get into Accrington Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Accrington Academy made 199 offers from 500 applications (2.5 per offer), and 158 of 165 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Accrington Academy?

Accrington Academy has 953 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Accrington Academy?

Accrington Academy had 1,150 school places in 2024/25.

Does Accrington Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Accrington Academy has a sixth form with 250 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Accrington Academy?

At Accrington Academy, the average class had 24.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 19.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Accrington Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Accrington Academy missed 11.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 32.5% 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.