Pendle Vale College
| Type | Secondary / Community school |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Oxford Road Nelson Lancashire BB9 8LF |
| Phone | 01282682240 |
| Reference Number | 134989 |
Pendle Vale College demonstrates a strong overall performance, with many pupils leaving the school well-prepared for their next steps in education or employment. The school has successfully fostered a culture of inclusion and high aspirations, evidenced by the consistently high rates of achievement and positive trends in attendance and behaviour. Leaders have effectively implemented ambitious curriculum choices and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, resulting in notable progress for disadvantaged pupils compared to their peers nationally.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1042 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 53.93%
Girls: 46.07% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 32.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 35.2% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 21.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 110 | 91 | 201 |
| 8 | 115 | 94 | 209 |
| 9 | 119 | 89 | 208 |
| 10 | 123 | 93 | 216 |
| 11 | 95 | 113 | 208 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Pakistani | 82.7% |
| White, British | 7.4% |
| Unclassified | 2.5% |
| White & Asian | 2.1% |
| White, Other | 1.1% |
| Asian, Other | 0.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.2% |
| African | 0.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.2% |
| Chinese | 0.1% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 10 Feb 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2026 | School inspection |
| 09 Nov 2021 | School inspection |
| 07 Dec 2016 | Short inspection |
| 14 Jun 2016 | Monitoring visit |
| 03 Oct 2012 | Full inspection |
| 27 Sep 2010 | Full inspection |
| 23 Oct 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 27 Nov 2007 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils achieve qualifications that enable them to pursue ambitious educational pathways.
- Above-average progress for disadvantaged pupils from low starting points.
- Strong focus on attendance, with decreasing persistent absence and improved overall attendance.
- Culture of high expectations and positive behaviour among pupils.
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent application of strategies by some teachers to account for pupils' prior knowledge.
- Variability in the learning experiences for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 42.5 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 32.2% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 51.7% |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 209 | 8 |
| Third Preference | 120 | 8 |
| From another Local Authority | 1 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Castercliff Primary School
Marsden Hall Road North, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 8JJ |
0.28 miles |
|
Pendle View Primary School
Gibfield Road, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 8JT |
0.31 miles |
|
Bradley Primary School
Dover Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7RF |
0.52 miles |
|
Colne Primet Primary School
Tatton Street, Tatton St. Colne Bb8 8je, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 8JE |
0.59 miles |
|
Walton Lane Nursery School
Walton Lane, Nelson, BB9 8BP |
0.66 miles |
|
Bradley Nursery School
Bradley Road East, Nelson, BB9 7QH |
0.66 miles |
|
Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson
Holland Place, Off Reedyford Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 8HD |
0.67 miles |
|
Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy
Trent Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0NX |
0.67 miles |
|
Walverden Primary School
Bracewell Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0TL |
0.68 miles |
|
Nelson St Philip's Church of England Primary School
Leeds Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 9TQ |
0.69 miles |
|
McMillan Nursery School
Railway Street, Nelson, BB9 9AG |
0.94 miles |
|
Barrowford School
Rushton Street, Barrowford, Barrowford Primary School, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 6EA |
1 miles |
|
Al-Ikhlaas Primary School
35 Norfolk Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7SY |
1.01 miles |
|
Whitefield Infant School and Nursery
Every Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7HF |
1.06 miles |
|
Marsden Community Primary School
Percy Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0BE |
1.09 miles |
|
Lomeshaye Junior School
Norfolk Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7SY |
1.11 miles |
|
Colne Lord Street School
Lord Street, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 9AR |
1.19 miles |
|
St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Lomeshaye Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0DQ |
1.19 miles |
|
Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School
Hibson Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PY |
1.29 miles |
|
Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School
Wheatley Lane Road, Barrowford, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 6QT |
1.33 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Pendle Community High School & College
Oxford Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 8LF |
0.08 miles |
|
Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School
Gibfield Road, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 8JT |
0.37 miles |
|
Colne Primet Academy
Dent Street, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 8JF |
0.51 miles |
|
Edenfield Girls' High School
Brunswick Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PQ |
0.88 miles |
|
East Lancashire Learning Group
Scotland Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7YT |
1.01 miles |
|
The Nook School
Knotts Lane, Colne, BB8 8HH |
1.08 miles |
|
Grow Independent School
Lower Clough Business Centre, Pendle Street, Barrowford, Lancashire, BB9 8PH |
1.09 miles |
|
Marsden Heights Community College
Edge End Lane, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PR |
1.56 miles |
|
Colne Park High School
Venables Avenue, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 7DP |
2.19 miles |
|
Silver Birch School
Briercliffe Road, Harle Syke, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2HA |
2.28 miles |
|
Compass Community School Lancashire
Bend Hill Farm, Granville Street, Briercliffe, Burnley, BB10 2RA |
2.52 miles |
|
Rosa House School
Bronte Farm, Halifax Road, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3RB |
2.65 miles |
|
Sir John Thursby Community College
Eastern Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2AT |
2.9 miles |
|
Ridgewood Community High School
Eastern Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2AT |
2.93 miles |
|
Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy
Ormerod Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3AA |
3.67 miles |
|
Olive High Boys
Ormerod Road (Entrance Via Shorey Bank), Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2RU |
3.85 miles |
|
Olive High
Shorey Bank, Burnley, BB11 2RY |
3.89 miles |
|
Burnley College
Princess Way, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0AN |
3.93 miles |
|
Lincoln House School
25-27 Clifton Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0QZ |
4.2 miles |
|
Unity College
Townley Holmes, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3DF |
4.33 miles |