Rhyddings, Accrington

In 2026, pupils at Rhyddings averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

21% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is down from 36.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.87: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.9, against 37.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 68 families put Rhyddings as their first choice and 208 named it as one of their preferences, for 129 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Rhyddings are Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.5); Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.5); Accrington Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.8); and The Hollins (1.6 miles, Attainment 8 41.9).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Rhyddings.

Rhyddings is one of 4 schools run by Let Education Trust, an academy trust.

22 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rhyddings (as of September 2025): 64% would recommend the school, 68% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (77%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (59%).

Of the 103 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 70% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

49.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 28% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (52%) and Asian (37%).

In 2026, 100 pupils (16.4%) received SEN support and 18 (3%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Church & Oswaldtwistle Rail Station, about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rhyddings HS (by), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Rhyddings 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 331 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.

In 2024/25, Rhyddings issued 450 suspensions, 65.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 13 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Rhyddings are Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School (0.1 miles); St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Oswaldtwistle (0.1 miles); Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles); and Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.