Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School
101%
Capacity
1,293
Pupils
4.0x
Demand
About Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School
Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School sits below the Lancashire local authority average for Progress 8, with a score of -0.26 compared to the LA average of -0.11. That gap of 0.15 points places the school in the 'Below average' progress banding nationally, and within Hyndburn it ranks third out of six secondary schools. The school's Attainment 8 score of 45.5 is reasonable, and 64.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though the figure drops to 41.3% when looking at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate of 36.5% is modest, and only 11.1% of pupils entered the full EBacc combination. For a Church of England school with a large roll, these headline metrics suggest a school that is broadly in line with local norms but not outperforming them.
In its most recent graded inspection in 2016, the school was rated Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. A subsequent ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed that the school remains Good. The sixth form, however, was rated Outstanding in that 2022 inspection, which is a notable strength. At A-level, the school's value-added score of -0.16 is 'Below average', with a points per entry of 31.62 equating to a C grade average. The best three A-levels averaged a C grade as well, and only 8.4% of entries were at AAB or higher. With 97 pupils in the sixth form, it is a sizeable provision, and the Outstanding rating suggests strong leadership and teaching at that level, even if the raw outcomes don't yet match the top-performing local schools.
The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 192 places in 2025/26, it received 771 applications, with 196 first-preference applications and 185 offers made to first-preference candidates. That oversubscription ratio of 4.02 reflects strong local demand. Facilities are comprehensive, including a swimming pool, sports hall, science labs, chapel, and a sixth form centre. The school offers a wide range of clubs from Model UN to DofE and gardening, and sports include swimming, rugby, and hockey. SEND provision covers ten categories, including dyslexia, autism, and speech and language needs. This is a large, popular, faith-based secondary with a strong sixth form, best suited to families who value a Church of England ethos and want a school that, while not academically exceptional at GCSE, offers breadth and stability.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Queen's Road West, Accrington, Hyndburn, BB5 4AY |
| Headteacher | Richard Jones |
| Local Authority | Lancashire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,293 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 13.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,293 / 1,280 (101% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
16 Mar 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (16 Mar 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 12 Jan 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.26)
2142nd of 3,141
Nationally
264th of 445
In North West
3rd of 6
In Hyndburn
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
37.7
'22/23
33.4
'23/24
31.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where school leavers go
2022/2354%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 144 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
27%
Russell Group
37%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)54%
- Employment24%
- Apprenticeship10%
- Not sustained6%
- Other education3%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed192
771
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
196 families put this school as their 1st choice (25% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British86.9%
- Asian6.6%
- White (other)3.2%
- Mixed1.7%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
12
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
9
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Queen's Road West, Accrington
Hyndburn, BB5 4AY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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