Rhyddings

Inspectors found that Rhyddings requires improvement across all four judged areas, although safeguarding is effective. Recent support from the LET Education Trust has raised expectations of behaviour and helped create a more respectful culture, with most pupils behaving well and typically enjoying school. Improvements in staffing and leadership have also helped raise achievement in key stage 3. However, the key stage 4 curriculum is underdeveloped in some subjects, and some teachers do not check or remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving on. Older pupils’ reading needs are not identified well enough, teaching is not consistently adapted for pupils with SEND, wider enrichment is too limited, and a small minority of pupils have persistently high absence because the school does not analyse the reasons closely enough. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection since it became an academy in 2022 and its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The school is part of the LET Education Trust and has recently appointed an interim headteacher, with substantial changes to leadership and governance. Staff value the increasing trust support and consideration for their workload and well-being.

Strengths

• Raised behaviour expectations have fostered a more respectful culture and positive relationships.
• Most pupils behave well and typically learn without interruption.
• Recent staffing and leadership improvements have raised achievement in key stage 3.
• Staff generally have strong subject expertise and choose engaging activities.
• Effective systems identify pupils with SEND and their additional needs.
• Reading support for younger pupils who struggle has been strengthened.
• The school has begun to support pupils who repeat unwanted behaviour better.
• Pupils learn age-appropriate PSHE content, including online and community safety.
• The careers programme gives most pupils sufficient insight into career pathways.
• Some pupils benefit from enrichment such as a trip to Madrid and leadership or reading ambassador roles.
• Trust governance changes are helping refine policies and practices.
• Staff value growing support and consideration for workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Key stage 4 curriculum is underdeveloped in some subjects, with essential knowledge not clearly identified.
• Some teachers do not check or remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving on.
• Older pupils’ reading gaps are not diagnosed and addressed well enough.
• Teaching is not consistently adapted to meet the additional needs of pupils with SEND.
• Extra-curricular and wider development opportunities are not broad or rich enough for many pupils.
• The school does not closely enough analyse reasons for absence for a small minority, so absence remains high.

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 Rhyddings attended 88.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 37.1% 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, 17.4% of pupils at Rhyddings were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 13 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 Rhyddings had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.1% 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, 16.4% of pupils at Rhyddings were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.0% 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 Rhyddings received £8,381 and spent £8,202 for each of its 690 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £581,000 (£842 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Let Education Trust, income was £8,036 and spending £8,078 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

Rhyddings is part of Let Education Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Oswaldtwistle West End Primary School Oswaldtwistle
• The Hollins Accrington
• Accrington Huncoat Primary School Accrington

What is Rhyddings's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rhyddings is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Rhyddings last inspected by Ofsted?

Rhyddings was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Rhyddings have?

Rhyddings has 610 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rhyddings cover?

Rhyddings for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Rhyddings's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.9, and 21% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rhyddings?

Rhyddings is at Haworth Street, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 3EA.