Oswaldtwistle School, Accrington
Oswaldtwistle School is a pru school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Accrington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oswaldtwistle School in detail
Where pupils go next
Of the 39 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 28% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 28% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 13% into work.
Who goes there
70.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Asian (11%).
In 2026, 90 pupils (93.8%) received SEN support and 6 (6.3%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Church & Oswaldtwistle Rail Station, about 370 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Printers (opposite), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oswaldtwistle School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 333 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Oswaldtwistle School excels at helping pupils who have struggled in education to find their way back to learning. Teachers know pupils exceptionally well and provide the support and encouragement they need to succeed. The school offers a broad curriculum combining core subjects with vocational courses, plus an excellent programme of enrichment activities including trips and leadership opportunities that help build pupils' confidence and ambitions for their future.
Key Strengths
- Staff provide exceptional nurture and support, transforming pupils' lives and putting them back on track with education
- High behaviour expectations with calm school environment where pupils feel listened to and encouraged to be themselves
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with subject expertise that helps pupils fill knowledge gaps and return to mainstream school where possible
- Strong careers programme with speakers, visits and residential trips that broaden pupils' ambitions
- Effective support for reading, helping pupils overcome poor perceptions and become confident, fluent readers
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils do not consistently have opportunities to review and edit their work, particularly in writing, leading to repeated mistakes
- Staff do not always use the most effective strategies to support some pupils, including those with SEND, making learning more difficult
- Need to ensure agreed support strategies are used consistently in classrooms to help all pupils access the curriculum
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Overnight residential trips, careers visits, pupil leadership roles, mental health and well-being activities, relationships and sex education programmes
Oswaldtwistle School is a pupil referral unit that has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. The school successfully re-engages pupils who have missed significant education by providing nurturing support, high expectations, and a carefully designed curriculum.
At a Glance
70.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Oswaldtwistle School
Summer Newsletter 2026
16 Jul 2026
School Closure Today (Monday 6th January)
6 Jan 2025
Summer 2024 Exams school closure mornings
9 May 2024
Strike Days - Letter from the Head Teacher
28 Jun 2023
School Closure Today Friday 10th March 2023
10 Mar 2023
School will reopen to all students on Wednesday 20th April
18 Apr 2022
From Oswaldtwistle School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Oswaldtwistle School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oswaldtwistle School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oswaldtwistle 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
- 29
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 19 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
107%
Over capacity
96 pupils
90 places
6 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Accrington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Accrington
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
90
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
96
Total Pupils
67
Boys
29
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,667
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Oswaldtwistle
Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Church
Oswaldtwistle School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Oswaldtwistle School
What is Oswaldtwistle School's Ofsted rating?
Oswaldtwistle School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Oswaldtwistle School?
No fixed boundary. When Oswaldtwistle School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oswaldtwistle School?
Oswaldtwistle School has around 96 pupils on roll. 71% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Oswaldtwistle School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Oswaldtwistle School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Oswaldtwistle School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 19 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 School?
Oswaldtwistle School is at Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 3DA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)