OFSTED
5 June 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Outstanding
OEIF
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour & attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership & management
Outstanding
INSPECTION HISTORY
Previous Ofsted activity
30 March 2023
Ungraded inspection
School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next
Published
24 May 2023
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy sponsor led
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Does not apply
Local authority
Blackburn with Darwen
Trust
EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,339
1,339 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
584
43.6% of pupils
Male pupils
755
56.4% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
0.8 pts
below England
School
24.0%
Blackburn with Darwen
25.6%
North West
28.5%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
6.4 pts
above England
School
26.7%
Blackburn with Darwen
36.4%
North West
18.1%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
1.0 pts
below England
School
0.0%
Blackburn with Darwen
0.4%
North West
0.8%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
Pakistani
50.7%
679
Indian
27.6%
370
Any other ethnic group
6.1%
82
Any other Asian background
5.0%
67
Bangladeshi
2.6%
35
White British
2.3%
31
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
17.0%
228 of
1,339 pupils
3.8 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
0.1 pts
above
England
6.0%
3.9 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
49.2
10.0 pts
above England
Latest published: -0.01 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
7.51%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.29 pts
higher than
England
School
7.51%
Blackburn with Darwen
6.47%
North West
6.25%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
22.50%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
6.68 pts
higher than
England
School
22.50%
Blackburn with Darwen
17.93%
North West
15.89%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
1.53%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
0.27 pts
lower than
England
School
1.53%
Blackburn with Darwen
1.96%
North West
1.75%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
99.2%
6.9 pts
above England
Pleckgate High School
99.2%
Blackburn with Darwen
94.1%
North West
91.8%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.