Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn

About Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn

If you’re a parent in Hyndburn weighing up secondary options, the experience of other families at Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School is a strong starting point. The school is significantly oversubscribed: for 152 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 360 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.37. All 151 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that for families who put it top of their list, the school is a realistic choice despite the competition. The school is a mixed, Roman Catholic state secondary for pupils aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form. It currently has 795 pupils against a capacity of 810, so it’s running very close to full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 32.3%, which is well above the national average and gives a sense of the school’s inclusive intake.

Academically, Mount Carmel is performing strongly. Its Progress 8 score of 0.38 is rated ‘Above average’ nationally, and it ranks 1st out of 6 schools in Hyndburn on this measure. To put that in context, the Lancashire local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.11, so pupils here are making significantly more progress than the typical student in the area. The Attainment 8 score sits at 42.5, and 52.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the ‘basics’ measure). The EBacc average point score is 3.77, with 45.8% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021, the school was rated Good across all categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2017.

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, science labs, and a chapel, which reflects its Catholic character. Sports provision is broad, with options from rowing to gymnastics, and there are clubs covering everything from chess to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The SEND register is comprehensive, with support for specific learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. For families who want a school with strong academic momentum, a clear Catholic identity, and a track record of improvement, Mount Carmel is a compelling choice. The oversubscription figures suggest it’s already well-regarded locally, and the Progress 8 data backs that up with measurable results.

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