Accrington Academy

Accrington Academy is a school in the United Learning trust that has recently appointed a new principal. Inspectors found that pupils generally enjoy school, behaviour has improved, and pupils feel safe and well supported. Personal development is a clear strength: pupils take part in a wide range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities, and receive useful careers guidance. The school has also strengthened its curriculum and made reading a priority, with timely identification of SEND needs. However, the quality of education remains a concern. The curriculum is not delivered consistently, assessment is not used well enough to check and close gaps, and some pupils—including pupils with SEND and sixth-form students—do not learn as well as they should. Pupils' outcomes are too low. Leadership and management, including quality assurance, need to improve so that governors and trust leaders have a clearer picture of strengths and weaknesses. The sixth form, which is due to close in July 2025, also requires improvement. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils are kind, considerate and build positive relationships with staff.
• Most pupils, including sixth-form students, feel safe and have a trusted adult.
• Behaviour has improved following a revised behaviour policy.
• The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities, clubs and trips.
• Pupils have opportunities to contribute through leadership roles such as the school council.
• The curriculum has been strengthened with clear key knowledge and sequencing.
• Reading is a priority, with effective support for early readers.
• SEND needs are identified promptly and teachers receive useful information.
• Careers information and guidance are useful for pupils and sixth-form students.
• Personal, social, health and economic education helps pupils stay healthy and safe.
• Staff feel well supported with workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum delivery is inconsistent across subjects and in the sixth form.
• Some learning activities do not help pupils deepen understanding or tackle challenging work.
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' existing knowledge or understanding.
• Pupils develop gaps in knowledge and do not achieve well enough.
• Pupils with SEND are not always well served by weaknesses in curriculum delivery.
• Quality assurance systems do not give leaders and governors a sufficiently detailed picture.
• Leadership and management require improvement.
• Sixth-form provision requires improvement.

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 Accrington Academy attended 89.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.1% 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, 7.5% of pupils at Accrington Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 Accrington Academy had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.4% 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, 11.4% of pupils at Accrington Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% 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 2024–25 Accrington Academy received £8,695 and spent £9,223 for each of its 995 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £889,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Accrington Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• The Hyndburn Academy Blackburn
• Marsden Heights Community College Nelson
• Dukesgate Academy Salford
• The Lowry Academy Manchester
• Cravenwood Primary Academy Manchester
• Brentnall Academy Salford
• Marlborough Road Academy Salford
• The Albion Academy Salford
• Salford City Academy Manchester
• Manchester Academy Manchester

What is Accrington Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Accrington Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Accrington Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Accrington Academy was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Accrington Academy have?

Accrington Academy has 953 pupils on roll.

What age range does Accrington Academy cover?

Accrington Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Accrington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.8, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Accrington Academy?

Accrington Academy is at Queens Road West, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 4FF.