School profile

West Craven High School

Secondary · Academy converter · Barnoldswick, BB18 5TB

Requires improvement

Map showing West Craven High School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#3,122 of 3,312

Worse than 94% of schools in England

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

West Craven High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 2 Jul 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
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils528
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr John Bates
TrustPENDLE EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityLancashire
Opened01 Sept 2016
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 142856.

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.35, worse than England, worse than Lancashire45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.47.3%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.21.7%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire43.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.1.6%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths39.5%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire59.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4129--

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 pupils528
Girls246
Boys282
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.29%
First language not English6.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.845
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.37.5%
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.10
Average class size23.8

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
81.4%
Pakistani
10%
Other White
2.8%
Other mixed
1.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.9%
White and Asian
0.8%
White and Black African
0.6%
Irish
0.2%
Gypsy/Roma
0.2%
Indian
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 teacher16.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11
Teachers (FTE)32.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.56
Support staff (FTE)25.23
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2532.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2524.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256.4
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

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.100
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.159
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.90
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.90
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.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolLancashireEngland
Overall absence12.3%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire8.1%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.34.1%, worse than England, worse than Lancashire21.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.7.6%, 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 rate36.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions12%
Permanent exclusion rate1%
Permanent exclusions6

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.84.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.73.8%
Further education73%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.14.3%
Apprenticeship8.7%
Employment1.6%
School sixth form0.8%
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 West Craven High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryBarnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryGisburn Road Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimarySalterforth Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryCoates Lane Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.6 miPrimaryKelbrook Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.8 miPrimaryEarby Springfield Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about West Craven High School

What is West Craven High School's Ofsted rating?

West Craven High School is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 2 Jul 2024.

How does West Craven High School rank in England?

West Craven High School ranks 3,122 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 94% of schools).

What are West Craven High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 21.7% of pupils at West Craven High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 35 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into West Craven High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, West Craven High School made 100 offers from 159 applications (1.6 per offer), and 90 of 90 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend West Craven High School?

West Craven High School has 528 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of West Craven High School?

West Craven High School had 845 school places in 2024/25.

Does West Craven High School have a sixth form?

No, West Craven High School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at West Craven High School?

At West Craven High School, the average class had 23.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at West Craven High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at West Craven High School missed 12.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 34.1% 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.