Pendle Vale College

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.

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.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Pendle Vale College attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.0% of pupils at Pendle Vale College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Pendle Vale College had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 11.6% of pupils at Pendle Vale College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Pendle Vale College received £9,951 and spent £10,065 for each of its 1,047 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £838,000 (£800 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Nelson · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Pendle Vale College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pendle Vale College is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Pendle Vale College last inspected by Ofsted?

Pendle Vale College was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Pendle Vale College have?

Pendle Vale College has 1,046 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pendle Vale College cover?

Pendle Vale College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Pendle Vale College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.8, and 28% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Pendle Vale College?

Pendle Vale College is at Oxford Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 8LF.