The Valley Leadership Academy
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 11–16 · Bacup, Lancashire
The Valley Leadership Academy is a secondary school in Bacup, Lancashire for ages 11–16 (academy sponsor led).
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Key facts
- Address
- Fearns Moss, Bacup, OL13 0TG
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Sector
- See recorded establishment type
- Council
- Lancashire
- Pupils on roll
- 578 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 41.9% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16.6
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
No Ofsted grade Inspected 21 April 2026
Strengths
- “Pupils are greeted warmly by staff when they arrive at school.”
- “This gets each day off to a positive start.”
- “Pupils are, in the main, happy at school.”
To improve
- “Although there are signs of improvement, many pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not attend school often enough.”
- “Even so, over time, pupils have not been prepared well enough for the next stage in education.”
- “Some pupils, especially older pupils, continue to have gaps in their learning which hinder their progress through the curriculum.”
Safeguarding: met
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 8 June 2026 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 31% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 32.6 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 43 first-preference applications, 104 offers in total, 43 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
More with a 3-month pass
A one-off £9.99 pass, no subscription, unlocks for 3 months:
- The council’s catchment or priority area for this school on the map
- Earlier years of applications and offers
- Earlier years of exam results
- Where pupils go after they leave
- Crime, sold prices, broadband and transport around the school
A last distance offered describes one past year and is not a catchment or a promise of a place. Check with the council before you apply.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Lancashire.
- Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 0.4 mi No Ofsted grade
- Alder Grange School 2.0 mi No Ofsted grade
- All Saints' Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy 2.8 mi Requires improvement
- Haslingden High School and Sixth Form 3.3 mi No Ofsted grade
- Whitworth Community High School 3.5 mi School remains Good
- The Hollins 5.5 mi Standards maintained
- Unity College 6.1 mi Requires improvement
- Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn 6.6 mi No Ofsted grade