West Craven High School, Barnoldswick

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to West Craven High School, a small secondary school with an incredible sense of community. At West Craven our educational philosophy is summed up by our school motto 'Ad Vitam Paramus', meaning 'We are preparing for life'."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance and drama.

In 2026, pupils at West Craven High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

22% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is down from 37.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.99: 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 27.9, against 38 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 15 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and History.

For September 2026 entry, 90 families put West Craven High School as their first choice and 159 named it as one of their preferences, for 100 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 West Craven High School are Colne Park High School (3.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.5); Colne Primet Academy (4.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.1); Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School (4.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.5); and Pendle Vale College (4.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.8).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than West Craven High School.

West Craven High School is one of 5 schools run by Pendle Education Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 126 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 73% to a further education college, 9% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

6.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Asian (10%).

In 2026, 109 pupils (20.6%) received SEN support and 10 (1.9%) 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.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of West Craven High School.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Craven HS (by), 100 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 43 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).

In 2024/25, West Craven High School issued 217 suspensions, 36.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to West Craven High School are Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School (0.1 miles), Gisburn Road Community Primary School (0.6 miles), Salterforth Primary School (0.6 miles) and Coates Lane Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.