Accrington Academy

About Accrington Academy

Just over 74% of parents who responded to the Ofsted Parent View survey would recommend Accrington Academy, based on 39 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025. That figure sits alongside a notably high oversubscription ratio of 2.82 for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, with 518 applications for 184 places and 178 first-preference offers. The school is clearly popular locally, but the parent feedback is mixed in places. On the positive side, 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child feels safe, and 95% felt their child could take part in clubs and activities. However, only 67% agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and just 57% felt the school makes them aware of what their child will learn. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, rated it Requires Improvement overall, though behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, were both judged Good.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was -0.62, which is well below the national average and also below the Lancashire local authority average of -0.11. In Hyndburn, it ranks 4th out of 6 schools on this measure, and nationally it sits in the bottom 50% of schools. The Attainment 8 score was 39.7, and 34% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the picture is similarly mixed: the average points per entry was 27.35, equivalent to a C- grade, and the value added score was -0.25, placing the sixth form in the ‘below average’ progress banding. The best three A-levels averaged a grade C. On the EBacc measure, 51.1% of pupils entered the combination, but only 11.2% achieved a grade 5 or above in all components.

The school is a Christian-faith, mixed secondary with a sixth form, serving 993 pupils against a capacity of 1150. Facilities include a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a chapel, and dedicated art and music rooms. There is a broad range of clubs, from coding and debate to Young Enterprise and Model UN, and sports on offer include rowing, cricket and dance. The school has a published list of SEND provisions covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication, visual impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With 40.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a significantly disadvantaged intake. It is oversubscribed, so families applying for Year 7 places in 2025/26 faced strong competition. This is a school that parents seek out, but one where academic outcomes and some aspects of parent communication remain areas for development.

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