The Hyndburn Academy

The Hyndburn Academy is a smaller-than-average secondary school in a deprived area, with a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Following significant leadership changes, including a new executive principal and principal, the school has undergone a period of improvement. Inspectors found that leaders have taken decisive action to strengthen the curriculum and teaching, and that behaviour and attendance are now typically good. Pupils are well supported in their personal development and feel safe and happy at school.

Strengths

• Leaders have established robust systems to monitor and improve attendance, with regular attendance for most pupils.
• Behaviour has improved significantly; the school is calm and orderly, and pupils behave well.
• The curriculum is well planned and typically taught effectively, with teachers using secure subject knowledge.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported and learn well through appropriate adaptations in lessons.
• Leaders have effective systems to identify and support pupils who struggle with reading.
• Inclusion is a strength; disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care receive effective support.
• Leadership has a clear view of the school's strengths and areas for development, and staff value professional learning opportunities.
• Personal development is well designed, with a broad range of enrichment activities and leadership opportunities.
• Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe, including online.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and understand fundamental values such as democracy and tolerance.

Areas for Improvement

• Historically, pupils have underachieved in public examinations at the end of key stage 4, leaving them not well prepared for their next steps.
• In some lessons, teachers do not check well enough what pupils know and can do, so gaps in learning are not addressed promptly.
• Some parents and carers are unhappy with recent changes to behaviour management systems, and communication with parents needs improvement.
• Pupils have not achieved well enough in national examinations at the end of year 11, and this remains a priority for 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 The Hyndburn Academy attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.8% 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, 11.3% of pupils at The Hyndburn 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 The Hyndburn Academy had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.5% 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, 15.6% of pupils at The Hyndburn Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% 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 The Hyndburn Academy received £8,498 and spent £8,687 for each of its 657 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £587,000 (£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 Blackburn · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

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

• Accrington Academy Accrington
• 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 The Hyndburn Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Hyndburn Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was The Hyndburn Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Hyndburn Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does The Hyndburn Academy have?

The Hyndburn Academy has 641 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Hyndburn Academy cover?

The Hyndburn Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Hyndburn Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.1, and 22% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Hyndburn Academy?

The Hyndburn Academy is at Stourton Street, Rishton, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 4ED.