What is Pleckgate High School's Ofsted rating?

Pleckgate High School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This is the overall judgement recorded under the inspection framework in use on the inspection date. Read the report and date before comparing it with newer inspections.

Does Pleckgate High School offer SEND support?

DfE data for Pleckgate High School lists these SEND need or provision categories: Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia), Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, Speech, Language & Communication, Hearing Impairment, and 4 more categories. This does not guarantee a particular place or service. Contact the school's SENCO for its current provision.

What are Pleckgate High School's exam results?

Pleckgate High School's published exam results include: 47% achieved grade 5+ in English and Maths GCSE; Attainment 8 score of 49.2. Check the result year before comparing schools.

Pleckgate High School

#4 in Best Secondary Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

Parent reviews

Pupils: 1,339
Ages: 11–16
Gender: Mixed
School type: Academy sponsor led

About

Pleckgate High School is a state-funded secondary school in Blackburn with Darwen, North West, for pupils aged 11 to 16 for boys and girls. DfE data records 1,339 pupils on roll and a published capacity of 1,350.

The latest recorded Ofsted overall judgement is Outstanding (5 Jun 2024). The published Attainment 8 score was 49.2 for 2024/25. Admissions data records 281 first-preference applications and 265 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27.

Reporting periods vary by source — Methodology.

School Rating

7/10

Classpot Rating

Pleckgate High School’s combined academic results and attendance score is in the typical band compared with mainstream state secondary schools across England for 2024/25.

7/10Academic results

Typical

The school’s Attainment 8 score was 49.2 in 2024/25. This measures average attainment across eight GCSE-level qualifications, using DfE’s subject weighting rules.

The score compares this result with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Academic attainment contributes 90% of the combined score. It measures exam or assessment results, not how much progress pupils made from their starting points.

7/10Attendance

Typical

Overall absence was 7.51% of possible school sessions in 2024/25. This includes authorised and unauthorised absence; it is not the percentage of pupils who were persistently absent.

The score compares absence with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Lower absence receives a higher score. Attendance contributes 10% of the combined score and does not on its own measure teaching quality.

NAPupil progress

Not available for 2024/25

DfE did not publish Progress 8 for 2024/25 because the required KS2 assessments were cancelled during the pandemic. Progress would compare pupils’ outcomes with those of pupils with similar earlier attainment.

Pupil progress is not included in this version of Classpot Rating. Its absence does not reduce the school’s score.

Methodology and official sources

Contact Information

01254249134 www.pleckgate.com

Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen, BB1 8QA

Mrs A McGinty

Details

School Type: Secondary (State)
Age Range: 11 to 16 years
Gender: Mixed
Establishment type: Academy sponsor led
Local Authority: Blackburn with Darwen

The full reporton this school

School admissions data, what the Ofsted report means for you, and how it compares to nearby schools.

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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

Outstanding

Based on 5 Jun 2024 · Legacy grading · Open inspection report ↗

Inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour & attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership & management	Outstanding

Previous inspection · 29 Jan 2019Legacy grading · Outstanding

Previous inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Overall effectiveness	Outstanding
Leadership & management	Outstanding

Published 2 Jul 2024.

Ofsted legacy grades; compare inspection dates and frameworks.

Catchment & distance

Distance unavailable; check admission criteria with the school or council.

Admissions

Application dates · 2027/28 entry
Measure	Value
School’s local authority	Blackburn with Darwen
Applications open	Usually 1 September 2026
Application deadline	31 October 2026
National offer day	1 March 2027

Apply through your home council; confirm local dates and any extra school forms.

Admissions demand · 2026/27
Measure	Value
Offers made on National Offer Day	265
First-preference applications	281
Applications (all preferences)	698
First-preference offers	218

Source: Published admissions data; follow each measure’s labelled basis, including all preferences where shown.

School performance

GCSE results

GCSE results · 2024/25
Measure	Value
Attainment 8 (average score)	49.2
English & maths: grades 9–4	71.2%
English & maths: grades 9–5	47.1%
EBacc entry	44.2%
EBacc grades 9–4	25.2%
EBacc grades 9–5	17.5%
EBacc average point score	4.26

DfE · 2024/25; compare the same year and measure (— unavailable or suppressed).

Destinations after GCSE · 2022/23
Destination	Pupils
This school’s sixth form	11.3%
Sixth-form college	23.4%
Further education college	48.4%
Apprenticeship	2.8%
Employment	2.8%
Not sustained	7.3%
Unknown	2.4%

Cohort: 248 pupils · Sustained education or employment: 90.3%

DfE destinations follow school leavers, not current pupils.

Students and teachers

18.6 pupils per qualified teacher

2025/26 · Full-time equivalent teachers, not class size.

Students

Number of pupilsPeriod not recorded: 1339
School capacityPeriod not recorded: 1350
Free school meals (FSM)2025/26: 24%
English as an additional language (EAL)2025/26: 26.7%
Attendance2024/25: 92.49%
Persistent absence (10% or more of sessions)2024/25: 22.5%

Classes & attendance

Average class size2025/26: 25.3
Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25: 2.58
Suspensions (count)2024/25: 35
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils2024/25: 0.07
Permanent exclusions (count)2024/25: 1

More pupil data

Absence breakdown
Measure	Value
Authorised absence2024/25	5.31%
Unauthorised absence2024/25	2.19%

Ethnic background · 2025/26
Group	Pupils
White British	2.3%
White other	1.1%
Mixed	3.5%
Asian	86%
Black	1%
Other	6.1%

DfE school, census, workforce, absence and exclusion data; periods vary, and missing values are not zero.

Published SEND Data

Autism
Dyslexia
Mental Health
Speech & Language
Hearing
Vision
Physical
Learning Difficulty
Other

DfE data; confirm current support with the school's SENCO.

School day & term dates

School day
Measure	Value
Teaching hours	08:30 – 15:00

Source: School website · checked 2026-05-19; confirm current arrangements.

Check the school website for term dates, holidays and INSET days.

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FAQ about Pleckgate High School

Pleckgate High School recorded 281 first-choice applications and 265 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27. That is 1.1 first-choice applications per offer made. This is a historic demand signal, not an individual admission probability or a catchment boundary. Admission criteria, address, preferences and the applicant cohort also matter. First-choice applications exceeded offers made in this dataset.

Results: Published results describe a past pupil cohort. Compare the same measure and reporting year; attainment and progress measure different things. Understanding secondary results.

Inspection: Read the inspection date and full report alongside the headline judgement. Schools inspected under different frameworks cannot be compared using a headline grade alone. Understanding Ofsted inspections.

Admissions: Applications and places describe past demand, not your child’s chance of an offer. Check the entry year and current admission criteria, including any priority groups. School admissions timeline.

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