Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Catchment Area, Exam Results and Reviews

Last updated 5 October 2026

Secondary
Post 16
PUPILS
1087
AGES
11 - 18
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Academy converter
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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School Guide verdict

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School is a co-educational state secondary in Rossendale, where good GCSE passes sit well above the national average, earning it a top 5-star rating from School Guide. Following its 2026 Ofsted inspection where all 6 assessed areas were rated Exceptional, School Guide's Comparison Rating for the school is Outstanding.

Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
0845 053 0000

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

6 AREAS
Ofsted report card
(09/06/2026)
Colour-coded results
99%
NATIONAL AVG. 38%
5+ GCSEs grade 9-4 (standard pass or above) including English and maths



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 5% of schools in England) Below Average (About 26% of schools in England) Average (About 43% of schools in England) Above Average (About 21% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 5% of schools in England)
UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 16% of schools in England) Below Average (About 18% of schools in England) Average (About 33% of schools in England) Above Average (About 17% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 16% of schools in England)

School Results Over Time

2022 2023 2024 2025 2020 2021 COVID UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved 5+ GCSEs grade 9-4
2022 2023 2024 2025 2020 2021 COVID UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved GCSE grade 5 or above in both English and maths
2022 2023 2024 2025 2020 2021 COVID UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved 3 A levels at AAB or higher
`
Glen Road
Rossendale
BB4 7BJ
01706234500

School Description

Many pupils at this school, including students in the sixth form, are articulate, conscientious and highly motivated to achieve well. However, numerous pupils and students told inspectors that they feel worried, unhappy and unsafe. This is because incidents of harmful sexual behaviour go unchallenged or are dismissed by leaders. Many pupils have lost confidence in the ability of leaders and staff to protect them from harm. This is a view echoed by a number of parents and carers who also expressed concerns to inspectors about their children’s well-being and safety while in school. Many pupils feel that there is not an adult in school to whom they can talk if they need to seek help. Leaders often do not make referrals to the local authority when appropriate. Pupils and students told inspectors that some teachers either ‘do not care’ about their worries or they simply ‘brush them under the carpet’. This is particularly the case for some pupils and students who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. In lieu of adequate support, some pupils and students said that they felt the need to take matters into their own hands to try to resolve issues, particularly in relation to harmful sexual behaviours. They also described how they, and their peers, are sometimes the target of abuse because they are different to others. Many pupils and students told inspectors that teachers do not deal with incidents of bullying effectively. Some told inspectors that they had experienced, and continue to endure, frequent and unwanted harmful sexual behaviour. Pupils and students know that leaders have high expectations of what they can achieve. These high expectations are reflected in the way that pupils and students behave during lessons. Lessons are seldom disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils and students progress well through subject curriculums. They recall their prior learning with confidence. There is a range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer for pupils and students, such as the debating society, music clubs, basketball and football. However, nearly one half of the pupils and students on roll do not make the best use of these clubs.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Parent Reviews

unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>57, "agree"=>34, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>58, "agree"=>34, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>50, "agree"=>38, "disagree"=>7, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>74, "strongly_agree"=>6, "agree"=>7, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>33, "agree"=>39, "disagree"=>19, "strongly_disagree"=>6, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>32, "strongly_agree"=>34, "agree"=>19, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>6, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>51, "agree"=>39, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 61 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>63, "agree"=>31, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>63, "agree"=>31, "disagree"=>2, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>48, "agree"=>40, "disagree"=>8, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>56, "agree"=>37, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>53, "agree"=>38, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>41, "agree"=>40, "disagree"=>11, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>88, "no"=>12} UNLOCK Figures based on 488 responses up to 22-05-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

Your rating:
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News, Photos and Open Days from Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Ofsted rating for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School?

At its 2026 Ofsted inspection, Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School received 6 of 6 Exceptional area grades, and School Guide's Comparison Rating for the school is Outstanding.

How do exam results at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School compare to the national average?

The school achieved 99.4% good GCSE passes (5+ GCSEs grade 9-4 including English and maths), which is well above the national average of 38.9%.

How many pupils attend Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School?

There are 1087 pupils registered at the school.