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Community school · Lancashire

Alder Grange School

  • 11–18Ages
  • 899Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • Sixth formAges 16–18
  • 119722URN

Calder Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 8HW · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
3.4per place
0.9 above Lancashire median (2.5)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in LancashireSelective

489 applications for 142 places · 15th of 81 in Lancashire
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
39.1of 90
69th of 81 in Lancashire
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Report card · inspected 10 March 2026Published 9 June 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 10 March 2026
    Report card · 6 Expected standard, 1 Needs attention
  2. 12 January 2022
    Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
3.4applications per place, Year 7
0.9 above Lancashire median (2.5) 1.2 above England median (2.2)

489 applications · 142 places offered · 177 named it first

  1. 2026 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
  2. 2025 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
  3. 2024 3.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
  4. 2023 3.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
  5. 2022 3.6; Lancashire median median 2.5
  6. 2021 3.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
  7. 2020 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.8
  8. 2019 4.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
  9. 2018 4.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
  10. 2017 4.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
  11. 2016 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
  12. 2015 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.7
  13. 2014 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 13 of 13 years.
  • This school
  • Lancashire median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20261424893.41771.25
Sep 20251455113.52181.50
Sep 20241425253.71801.27
Sep 20231455423.71981.37
Sep 20221425143.61831.29
Sep 20211455333.71561.08
Sep 20201454793.31400.97
Sep 20191345384.01501.12
Sep 20181335484.11921.44
Sep 20171365394.01751.29
Sep 20161354733.51611.19
Sep 20151354583.41751.30
Sep 20141374773.51891.38

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

143 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)39.169th of 81 in Lancashire
Grade 5 or above in English and maths29%68th of 81 in Lancashire
Grade 4 or above in English and maths53%
  • This school
  • Lancashire median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.32
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)14339.129%53%–
2024/2513837.025%50%–
2023/2413940.332%62%−0.32
2022/2314542.240%69%−0.41

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Community school
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
119722 · 888/4030
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Capacity
902 pupils · 899 on roll
Free school meals
23.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address
Calder Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 8HW
Local authority
Lancashire · Rossendale

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources