Alder Grange SchoolThe Valley Leadership Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Alder Grange School and The Valley Leadership Academy are secondary schools.
Alder Grange School scores 50 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and The Valley Leadership Academy scores 34 out of 100 (grade F, weak). Alder Grange School is ahead on our composite score.
Alder Grange School was judged the expected standard and The Valley Leadership Academy was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 39.1 for Alder Grange School and 34.3 for The Valley Leadership Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Alder Grange School (40.0 in 2021-22, 39.1 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at The Valley Leadership Academy (32.9 in 2021-22, 34.3 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | RossendaleAlder Grange School | BacupThe Valley Leadership Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D50/100Stronger figure | F34/100 | |
| Local ranking | 54th of 82 in Lancashire Stronger figure | 76th of 82 in Lancashire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Community school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 899 | 578 | |
| Capacity | 902 | 1,050 | |
| Location | Rossendale, BB4 8HW | Bacup, OL13 0TG | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 39.1 Stronger figure | 34.3 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 29.4% | 36.8% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 53.1% Stronger figure | 48.2% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 143 | 114 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 65 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 26.7 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C- | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 26.0 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 5.3% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 902 | 589 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 24.3% | 46.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 5.1% | 1.9% | |
| SEN support | 13.6% | 22.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.3% | 3.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.5% Stronger figure | 15.4% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 20.5% Stronger figure | 45.1% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Alder Grange School
The Valley Leadership Academy
Full profiles: Alder Grange School · The Valley Leadership Academy