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SecondaryState · Community school

Alder Grange School

Calder Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 8HW ·

Report card: areas need attention· 2026
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At a glance

A state secondary school for ages 11–18 in Rossendale. Ofsted report card (March 2026): areas need attention. GCSE results are well below the England average (Attainment 8: 37.0 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 177 families put it first for 142 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–18
Pupils
899
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Local authority
Lancashire
Headteacher
Mrs Joanna Griffiths

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports
Inspected 10 Mar 2026Published 9 Jun 2026
  • SafeguardingMet
  • InclusionExpected standard
  • Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
  • AchievementNeeds attention
  • Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
  • Personal development and well-beingExpected standard
  • Post-16 provisionExpected standard
  • Leadership and governanceExpected standard

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 138 pupils

Attainment 8
37.0
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
25.4%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
50%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
-0.32
2023/24 · CI -0.56 to -0.08
This school
37
Lancashire
45.1
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
142
1st preferences
177
All applications
489
1st prefs per place
1.25
More first choices than places

139 of 177 first-preference applicants were offered a place (79%).

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
902
Capacity
902
100% full
Girls / boys
51/49
Mixed
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)24.3%
  • English as an additional language5.1%
  • SEN support13.6%
  • Education, Health and Care plan4.3%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
Alder Grange School, Rossendale · SchoolPatch