Valley College, Rossendale
Valley College is a special school for pupils aged 19 to 25 in Rossendale. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Valley College in detail
Valley College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome to Valley College, situated on Ewood Campus, Rossendale and also at the Oracle, Blackpool. I am delighted to be Principal of Valley College, an educational environment which is focused on its mission statement 'Preparation for Adulthood, Citizenship and Employment' (PACE)."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Valley College are Tor View School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Maple House School (0.2 miles, Good); Rawtenstall Cribden House Community Special School (0.6 miles, Outstanding); and Belmont School (0.8 miles).
Tor View SchoolMaple House SchoolRawtenstall Cribden House Community Special SchoolBelmont School
Who goes there
Valley College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Rawtenstall (East Lancashire Railway), about 1 mile away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Manchester Rd (by), 200 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Valley College has made impressive improvements in how it teaches young people with learning difficulties and autism. Teachers work closely with support staff to set targets matched to each learner's needs and carefully monitor progress. The college offers a range of therapies and specialist resources to help students develop the skills they need for life after college, including preparation for work and independence.
Key Strengths
- Completely redesigned curriculums that are ambitious and meet individual learner needs, with new topics including health and well-being, preparation for adulthood and careers guidance
- Effective teaching framework that meets specific learner needs, with staff carefully monitoring progress towards targets linked to EHC plans
- Learners access incremental qualifications and benefit from additional therapies such as speech and language therapy and hydrotherapy
- Comprehensive specialist SEND training for all staff, with leaders closely monitoring the impact on teaching practice
- Strong quality assurance processes with college-wide reports and specific, measurable improvement actions
Extracurricular Activities
Speech and language therapy, hydrotherapy
Valley College is an independent specialist college in Haslingden that provides education and support for young people aged 18 to 25 with severe learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties and/or autism spectrum disorder across three learning pathways. Following a 'requires improvement' rating in September 2023, this monitoring visit found significant progress across all key areas.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Valley College
Could you become a Valley College Director (Governor)?
2 Jul 2026
We're Looking for a College Director of our Local Governing Committee
1 Dec 2025
Upcoming Events
11 Nov 2025
Specialist Input
11 Nov 2025
Values for Living
10 Nov 2025
Cookson First Aid
6 Nov 2025
From Valley College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Valley College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Valley College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Valley College 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 12 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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
Area Demand Pressure - Rossendale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rossendale
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(3)
Further education and skills inspection
Special educational needs provision
Valley College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Valley College
What is Valley College's Ofsted rating?
Valley College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Valley College?
No fixed boundary. When Valley College is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Valley College have specialist SEN provision?
Valley College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Valley College?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Valley College 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 Valley College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 12 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Valley College?
Valley College is at Clod Lane, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 6LR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)