Ribblesdale School, Clitheroe

In its own words: "Ribblesdale School has served Clitheroe and the local community faithfully for more than 90 years. We're delighted to have now expanded our age range to become Lancashire's only maintained all-through school welcoming pupils aged 4-16."

From the headteacher's welcome: "The high school at Ribblesdale has served the Clitheroe community for more than 90 years. We are proud to be Lancashire's only maintained all-through school and we are excited to build on our proud heritage with our fully inclusive, high quality provision for primary-aged pupils."

The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.

Coming up: an open day on Thursday 5 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Ribblesdale School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is down from 43.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.25: pupils made 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 33.2, against 43.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 257 families put Ribblesdale School as their first choice and 670 named it as one of their preferences, for 276 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Ribblesdale School are Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 70.8); Bowland High (3.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.4); St Augustine's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy (3.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45); and Shuttleworth College (6.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 38).

Ribblesdale School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

99 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ribblesdale School (as of April 2026): 92% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).

Of the 280 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college, 10% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 128 pupils (8.9%) received SEN support and 34 (2.4%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Clitheroe Rail Station, about 780 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ribblesdale CHS (by), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ribblesdale School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 6th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Ribblesdale School issued 64 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Ribblesdale School are St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe (0.2 miles); St Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles); Clitheroe Brookside Primary School (0.5 miles); and Edisford Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.