Olive High, BURNLEY
Olive High is an independent school for girls aged 11 to 16 in Burnley. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Olive High in detail
Olive High in its own words
In its own words: "A warm welcome to you all. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to Olive High where we endeavour to create excellence through our teaching and pastoral support. At Olive High we offer a safe, happy, and stimulating environment in which we encourage all pupils to become responsible respectful and caring ‘ladies’ of the community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama, coding, cooking, art, knitting, photography and Duke of Edinburgh.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Olive High can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Olive High are Olive High Boys (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Lincoln House School (0.5 miles, Good); Rawdhatul Uloom (0.6 miles, Good); and Edenfield Girls' High School (3.1 miles).
Olive High BoysLincoln House SchoolRawdhatul UloomEdenfield Girls' High School
Who goes there
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Burnley Central Rail Station, about 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ormerod Road (outside), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Olive High stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 666 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Olive High creates an inspirational learning environment where pupils gain high levels of self-confidence and resilience. The school excels at helping girls achieve things they never thought possible through ambitious teaching, considerable extra-curricular opportunities, and a focus on developing well-rounded individuals who understand their role in creating positive change in the world.
Key Strengths
- Broad and demanding curriculum where pupils develop deep, connected knowledge across subjects
- Exceptional personal development programme that encourages pupils to debate complex topics and engage in social action projects
- High-quality careers guidance and support that helps pupils achieve their future aspirations with an alumni programme continuing support after graduation
- Exemplary pupil behaviour driven by staff who model consistently high expectations
- Effective support clinics that help pupils address learning gaps and keep up with curriculum demands
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a policy meeting current statutory requirements and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
archery, self-defence, computer coding
Olive High is an outstanding independent school for girls aged 11-16 where staff and pupils live out the school's motto of striving for excellence. The school provides an impressive and ambitious curriculum with exceptional personal development opportunities that transform pupils' achievements and aspirations.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Olive High
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 72
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 22
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 72 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 22 serious and 50 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
20 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
48%
Available places
214 pupils
450 places
236 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - BURNLEY
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for BURNLEY
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
0.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
214
Total Pupils
0
Boys
214
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Olive High
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Olive High
What are GCSE results like at Olive High?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Olive High can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Olive High's Ofsted rating?
Olive High was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2025.
Does Olive High meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2025, Olive High met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Olive High?
Olive High has around 214 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Olive High?
Olive High is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Olive High?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 72 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 22 serious and 50 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 20 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Olive High?
Olive High is at SHOREY BANK, BURNLEY, BURNLEY, BB11 2RY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)