Pendle Vale CollegeMarsden Heights Community College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Nelson.
Summary of the comparison
Pendle Vale College and Marsden Heights Community College are secondary schools in Nelson.
Pendle Vale College scores 57 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Marsden Heights Community College scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average). Marsden Heights Community College is ahead on our composite score.
Pendle Vale College was judged the expected standard and Marsden Heights Community College was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 41.8 for Pendle Vale College and 41.5 for Marsden Heights Community College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Pendle Vale College (43.7 in 2021-22, 41.8 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Marsden Heights Community College (43.1 in 2021-22, 41.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | NelsonPendle Vale College | NelsonMarsden Heights Community College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C57/100 | C58/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 39th of 82 in Lancashire | 35th of 82 in Lancashire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Community school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,046 | 1,047 | |
| Capacity | 1,050 | 1,050 | |
| Location | Nelson, BB9 8LF | Nelson, BB9 0PR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 41.8 Stronger figure | 41.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 27.6% | 41.1% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 52.8% | 57.4% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 214 | 209 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,042 | 1,048 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 34.4% | 33.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 32.4% | 90.2% | |
| SEN support | 10.3% | 17.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 2.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.2% | 7.9% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 25.5% | 21.6% Stronger figure | 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.
Pendle Vale College
Marsden Heights Community College
Full profiles: Pendle Vale College · Marsden Heights Community College