Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Accrington
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Accrington. It has a Methodist religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 25 schools in Accrington with published results, and 6,110th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, tennis, athletics, gymnastics, cross-country, dance and drama.
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am, from £5.00 per session.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 3 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Lancashire
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (75% in reading, 79% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 93 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School are St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Oswaldtwistle (0.4 miles, Good, 94% reading, 86% maths); Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 78% reading, 66% maths); Oswaldtwistle Moor End Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 81% reading, 85% maths); and Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 81% maths).
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, OswaldtwistleOswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolOswaldtwistle Moor End Primary SchoolOswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Asian (6%).
In 2026, 27 pupils (13.2%) received SEN support and 4 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Church & Oswaldtwistle Rail Station, about 1170 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hornby Street (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 227 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Rhyddings (0.4 miles); Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn (0.7 miles); and The Hollins (1.6 miles).
RhyddingsMount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, HyndburnThe Hollins
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
25.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 75% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- Accrington Holiday ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Progressive Kids820m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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
Your chances of a place at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School
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Your home postcode, set against Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Accrington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Accrington
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
205
Total Pupils
105
Boys
100
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
22.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,402
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,526
Per pupil
£1273k
Total funding
£64k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
8.3%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Questions parents ask about Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 205 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 8.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Accrington Holiday Club (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Heron Way, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 3BT.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)