Skip to content
eduscope

Search

Search for schools, places and postcodes

Schools in Accrington

A town in Lancashire

  • Town
  • 30 schools and nurseries
  • 5,590 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, fewer than across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Accrington at a glance

Behind England on primary inspections

How Accrington's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries3012 primary · 3 secondary · 14 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better50%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1148%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths36%Attainment 8 41.6, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary35%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school23%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Accrington

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Accrington primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Accrington

12 mainstream schools in Accrington, best first

Accrington Benjamin Hargreaves Church of England Primary School

Accrington, BB5 2AQ · Academy · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Inadequate

Results well above the England average.

14 first choices, 16 offers made

Met the standard at 1174%

England 62%

Days missed
4.9%
Pupils
137
Pupils per teacher
20.8
View school Accrington Benjamin Hargreaves Church of England Primary School

Top Secondary Schools in Accrington

3 mainstream schools in Accrington, best first

The Hollins

Accrington, BB5 2QY · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results below the England average.

153 first choices, 152 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1641.9

England 46.2

Days missed
7.8%
Pupils
794
Pupils per teacher
16.8
View school The Hollins

Accrington Academy

Accrington, BB5 4FF · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement in 3 areas

Results below the England average.

165 first choices, 199 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1639.8

England 46.2

Days missed
10.4%
Pupils
953
Pupils per teacher
19.1
View school Accrington Academy

Nurseries in Accrington

14 in Accrington, highest Ofsted grade first

Fairfield Nursery School

Accrington, BB5 0LD · State · Nursery · Ages 2 to 5

  • Ofsted:Good

No published results yet.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
58
Pupils per teacher
14.5
View school Fairfield Nursery School

Lee Royd Nursery School

Accrington, BB5 2LH · State · Nursery · Ages 2 to 4

  • Ofsted:Good

No published results yet.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
79
Pupils per teacher
35.0
View school Lee Royd Nursery School

Sixth Forms in Accrington

1 in Accrington, by the school's Eduscope score

The Alternative School

Accrington, BB5 1NT · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 18

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
172
Pupils per teacher
–
View school The Alternative School

Private Schools in Accrington

1 in Accrington. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

The Alternative School

Accrington, BB5 1NT · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 18

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
172
Pupils per teacher
–
View school The Alternative School
The map

Every school in Accrington, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Lee Royd Nursery School, GoodFairfield Nursery School, GoodAccrington Peel Park Primary School, Requires improvement in 1 areaAccrington Hyndburn Park Primary School, Needs attention in 7 areasAccrington Spring Hill Community Primary School, Needs attention in 1 areaAccrington Woodnook Primary School, Requires improvement in 1 areaSt Peter's CofE Primary School, Needs attention in 1 areaBaxenden St John's Church of England Primary School, GoodAccrington St John with St Augustine Church of England Primary School, GoodAccrington St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary School, Urgent improvement in 1 areaSt Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School, Accrington, Good or betterSacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Church, Requires improvement in 1 areaMount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn, Expected standard or betterAccrington Academy, Requires improvement in 3 areasThe Alternative School, InspectedThe Hollins, GoodSt Anne's and St Joseph's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, InadequateAccrington Benjamin Hargreaves Church of England Primary School, InadequateLittle Brook Nursery, GoodPartou Little Oaks Day Nursery & Pre-School, GoodLittle Stars at The Beeches, GoodThe Magical Kingdom Nursery And Preschool, GoodLittle Stars at the Oaks, GoodLittle Stars at First Steps, GoodMarshmallows Accrington Ltd, GoodTudor House Day Nursery @ Accrington, GoodLittle Tinkers Day Nursery, GoodLittle Wonders Nursery, GoodNoah's Ark Day Nursery and Forest SchoolMi Nursery Meadowbrook
  • Good15
  • Inadequate2
  • Not graded yet13
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Accrington school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Accrington's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Accrington by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Accrington vs England

How good are Accrington's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Accrington

AccringtonEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 4 primaries with one.

    50%

    England 96%

    Below England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    1 of the 1 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    48%

    England 62%

    Below England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    36%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    23%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    35%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 7 schools that have one.

71%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good5
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate2

How it has changed

Accrington in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap30%50%70%20182019202320242025
48% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap20%35%50%2018201920222023202420252026
36% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%20%40%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
23% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Accrington has 30 schools and nurseries.

There are 7% fewer pupils than in 2018.

35% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Accrington's state schools each January.

Down 7% since 2018.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Accrington35%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Accrington

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask about Accrington

How many schools are in Accrington?

Accrington has 30 schools, including 13 primary schools, 4 secondary schools, 14 nurseries, 1 independent school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Accrington?

The highest-ranked schools in Accrington on Eduscope are St Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School, Accrington, Baxenden St John's Church of England Primary School, Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Accrington are rated Good or Outstanding?

71% of inspected schools in Accrington hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 5 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Accrington perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Accrington, 48% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Accrington?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Accrington is 19.5:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Accrington schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Accrington is 22.6%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Accrington?

There are 5,590 pupils enrolled across schools in Accrington, with 2,905 in primary and 2,548 in secondary. 35.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Accrington?

There is 1 independent school in Accrington. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare it on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.

How do I choose the right school in Accrington?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 30 schools in Accrington by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

Search

Search for schools, places and postcodes