Secondary
The Valley Leadership Academy
Fearns Moss, Bacup, OL13 0TG
Key facts
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Intake
- Mixed
- Pupils
- 578 of 1050 places
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Trust
- STAR ACADEMIES
Ofsted
Last inspected April 2026
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
SafeguardingMet
Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)Earlier inspections1
September 2023
Previous framework
Requires improvement
Safeguarding: met
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Leadership and governanceRequires improvement
- Personal developmentGood
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
GCSE results
31%
32.6
All published measures2024/2025
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 32.6 |
| EBacc average point score | 2.92 |
| Entered the EBacc | 33% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 50% |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 31% |
From the Department for Education. Measures are published per year and suppressed where a cohort is too small, so some schools show fewer. There are no results for 2019/20 or 2020/21, when exams and assessments were cancelled.
Results over time4 years
Each measure on its own scale, over every year we hold.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 21/22 | 15% |
| 22/23 | 29% |
| 23/24 | 32% |
| 24/25 | 31% |
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 21/22 | -0.88 |
| 22/23 | -1.01 |
| 23/24 | -1.08 |
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 21/22 | 32.9 |
| 22/23 | 34.5 |
| 23/24 | 29.6 |
| 24/25 | 32.6 |
Fearns Moss, Bacup, OL13 0TG
Admissions
How to apply (opens in a new tab)
You apply through your council, not the school - even for academies and free schools. Applications close on 31 October, the year before starting.
Lancashire admissions (opens in a new tab)
The council publishes the oversubscription criteria and last year’s offer distances, which is the closest thing to knowing your chances.
If you are refused a place (opens in a new tab)
You can appeal, and you can join a waiting list at the same time. Accept whatever offer you get first - declining it can leave you with no place at all.
This school’s own admissions (opens in a new tab)
Schools that set their own criteria - faith schools, grammars, academies - publish them on their own site.
Contact
- Headteacher
- Colette Roberts
- Address
- Fearns Moss, Bacup, OL13 0TG
- Telephone
- 01706873896