Bowland High

Overall, Bowland High has maintained a good level of performance following an outstanding judgment in its previous inspection. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils enjoy their time, display good behavior, and are well-supported by dedicated staff. There is a strong focus on high expectations for achievement, including specific support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring they access the full curriculum. However, the inspection identified some areas for improvement, particularly in the consistency of behavior management during social times and the need for more effective assessment strategies in the classroom.

Strengths

• Leaders have high expectations of all pupils.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of extracurricular activities.
• Curriculum is ambitious and well-designed for all pupils.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND to help them achieve.
• Effective careers provision ensuring pupils are well-informed about their next steps.
• Positive relationships fostered between teachers and pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent assessment strategies among some teachers.
• Management of behavior during social times needs 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 Bowland High attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.0% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Bowland High were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Bowland High had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.9% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Bowland High were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 Bowland High received £7,584 and spent £8,159 for each of its 615 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £659,000 (£1,071 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Achievement Through Collaboration Trust, income was £7,639 and spending £7,977 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 Clitheroe · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Bowland High is part of Achievement Through Collaboration Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Witton Park Academy Blackburn
• Hindley Junior and Infant School Wigan
• Platt Bridge Community School Wigan
• Roseacre Primary Academy Blackpool
• Thames Primary Academy Blackpool

What is Bowland High's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bowland High is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Bowland High last inspected by Ofsted?

Bowland High was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Bowland High have?

Bowland High has 644 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bowland High cover?

Bowland High for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Bowland High's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.4, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bowland High?

Bowland High is at Riversmead, Sawley Road, Grindleton, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4QS.