The Hollins Review 2026: A values-led 11 to 16 school in Huncoat, with strong enrichment and competitive Year 7 entry

Oversubscription is part of the story here, and it has been for some time. The Hollins is a mixed 11 to 16 school with around 800 pupils and a published Year 7 admission number of 158, serving Huncoat and the wider Accrington area. Families considering it should expect competition for places, alongside a clear emphasis on behaviour, attitudes, and belonging.

The school sits within LET Education Trust, a local trust formed in 2022, and it frames day to day expectations through a simple set of values that runs through communication, routines, and pupil leadership. The recent ungraded inspection found standards were being sustained, and safeguarding was judged effective, giving parents reassurance on the fundamentals.

The public face is calm and organised, with a deliberate focus on conduct and readiness to learn. Values language is prominent, and the school explicitly sets out what it expects in terms of appearance, behaviour, and attitude to learning. Those expectations are not positioned as optional, they are presented as the shared baseline for pupils, staff, and families.

Leadership is stable and visible. The headteacher is Mrs S. Haydock, supported by a structured senior team that includes a deputy headteacher with responsibility for welfare and safeguarding, plus assistant heads across curriculum, teaching and learning, attendance, behaviour, careers, and SEND. This breadth matters in practice, because it signals where the school has chosen to put senior capacity, particularly around attendance, wellbeing, and classroom consistency.

The school is part of LET Education Trust, a group that includes two secondaries and two primaries. The trust language leans into collaboration while stating that each school retains its own character, which is a relevant point for families comparing options across the local area.

Outcomes sit below England averages on several headline measures, which is important context for parents who prioritise purely academic metrics. In the most recent dataset used here, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 42, below the England average of 45.9. Progress 8 is -0.16, indicating progress slightly below the national benchmark when compared with similar starting points. EBacc average point score is 3.46 versus an England average of 4.08. The share achieving grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects is 3.2, and the school’s EBacc entry is described in the latest inspection context as below the government’s ambition, with actions underway to increase uptake.

Rankings should be read as a comparative signal rather than a verdict. Ranked 3,045th in England and 4th in Accrington for GCSE outcomes, this sits below England average, within the lower band of schools in England (roughly the 60th to 100th percentile). These are proprietary FindMySchool rankings based on official data. For families, the implication is practical, you should look closely at fit and support structures rather than assuming exam outcomes will be the primary selling point.

A useful way to interpret this school’s academic position is through its stated approach to curriculum and classroom practice. The published curriculum map shows a broad Key Stage 3 offer and a Key Stage 4 core that includes English language and literature, mathematics, religious studies, and science, with option choices across academic and applied subjects. The question for parents is not whether pupils can access breadth, they can, but whether the learning system consistently helps pupils retain and use knowledge securely, which is an area explicitly flagged for continued improvement.

A clear curricular structure is a strength, particularly in ensuring all pupils encounter a broad base through Key Stage 3. The published plan lists a conventional set of subjects at Key Stage 3 including computing, modern languages, humanities, arts, and personal development, then shifts at Key Stage 4 to a defined core plus three options selected at the end of Year 9. That sequencing helps families understand when specialisation begins, and it makes Key Stage 3 a genuine preparation stage rather than a holding pattern.

The school’s improvement priorities, as described in the latest inspection narrative, are tightly linked to classroom micro habits. Staff checks on what pupils know are described as routine, and subject knowledge is characterised as strong, but there are occasions where gaps and misconceptions are not addressed quickly enough and where key vocabulary is not consistently prioritised. The implication is straightforward, pupils who need more immediate feedback and targeted correction will benefit most when teaching is at its most consistent across classrooms, while those who need more scaffolding may rely more heavily on form tutor support, interventions, and the quality of SEND identification.

Reading is given explicit prominence. The school describes reading as central to school life, with regular reading encouraged through tutor time and Key Stage 3 library lessons, and a systematic approach to identifying reading needs when pupils start in Year 7. In practical terms, this is most relevant for families whose child is making the jump from primary with some gaps in fluency or confidence, because the early secondary years can otherwise compound difficulties across all subjects.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the key transition is post 16. The school frames its destination work through a careers education programme and wider experiences, including employer engagement and university visits, with pupils encouraged to think about multiple routes such as further study, apprenticeships, and employment with training. With no published destination percentages available provided here, parents should treat post 16 planning as a discussion topic at open events, asking how the school supports applications to sixth forms, FE colleges, and apprenticeships, and how it targets guidance for pupils who are undecided.

Entry is competitive. In the most recent admissions data supplied here for Year 7, there were 497 applications for 158 offers, which equates to roughly 3.15 applications per place. This is a meaningful pressure level for a comprehensive intake, and it aligns with the school’s own messaging that families should use all three preferences on the local authority form rather than relying on a single choice.

Applications for Year 7 places for September 2026 entry are coordinated by Lancashire County Council. The county timetable states that applications open on 01 September 2025, close on 31 October 2025, and offers are issued on 02 March 2026 (because the national offer date falls on a weekend). The school also publishes admissions guidance and an admissions arrangements document, including a geographical priority area map, which indicates that proximity and priority area are likely to be relevant where the school is oversubscribed.

Because last distance offered data is not available here, families should be cautious about assuming that living “nearby” will be sufficient. A practical approach is to use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise home to school distance against any published priority maps, then confirm how the published oversubscription criteria operate in tie break situations.

Pastoral structures are presented as a core operational priority rather than an add on. Senior leadership responsibilities include welfare and safeguarding, attendance, and behaviour, and the inspection narrative describes pupils as polite and considerate, contributing to a calm, respectful atmosphere. SEND identification is described as accurate, with pupils supported to learn alongside peers, which matters in an 11 to 16 setting where subject demands rise quickly through Years 8 and 9.

Attendance is a stated focus. The inspection narrative describes work to address barriers to attendance and a reduction in persistent absence, which is a useful signal to parents because attendance patterns often act as an early indicator of whether a school has the systems to respond quickly when a pupil starts to disengage.

Enrichment is one of the most distinctive strengths and it is described as integral rather than optional. The school frames this through two strands, structured opportunities linked to curriculum access, plus broader programmes that aim to build confidence, responsibility, and community connection.

A good example is Duke of Edinburgh. The school positions DofE explicitly alongside its seven values and presents it as a route to skills that travel beyond school, including resilience and employability. The practical implication for pupils is that commitment and consistency are rewarded, and the programme can suit pupils who learn best through doing rather than purely through classroom abstraction.

The Let’s Be programme is another signature element. It is described as an extended services programme that brings in projects and activities designed to broaden pupils’ social, moral, spiritual, and cultural experience, with an emphasis on raising aspirations and strengthening wellbeing. This will suit pupils who respond positively to projects with a real world purpose, including community based activity, leadership roles, and events that build confidence in public settings.

Creative and performance routes are also visible. The enrichment information references instrumental lessons across piano or keyboard, singing, brass and woodwind, guitar, and drums, alongside a rock band, singing clubs, talent shows, and annual musical theatre productions. The implication is that pupils who are motivated by performance, whether on stage or in music, can find a clear platform to develop, while parents should also expect additional costs for optional instrumental tuition and some activities.

There is also evidence of active participation in local cultural projects. The school’s write up of a local writing competition includes named collaborators and public facing outputs, which suggests that English and creative writing are treated as something to showcase, not just assess. That matters for pupils whose strengths are expressive and who benefit from authentic audiences.

The school day begins at 8.45am with form time and ends at 3.00pm, with pupils in school for 31.25 hours per week.

Families should plan transport carefully, particularly if applying from outside the usual geographical priority area. The local authority’s Year 7 application guidance includes a reminder to consider the school run and transport eligibility early in the process.

• Academic outcomes sit below England averages on headline measures. Attainment 8 and Progress 8 are below benchmark in the latest dataset used here. This will not suit families seeking a consistently high performing GCSE profile as the main priority.

• Competition for Year 7 places is real. With roughly 3.15 applications per place in the most recent admissions data provided here, entry remains the limiting factor, especially for families outside the priority area.

• No sixth form on site. Post 16 planning matters earlier, so families should ask how the school supports applications to colleges, school sixth forms elsewhere, and apprenticeships, including guidance for pupils who are undecided.

• Classroom consistency is an explicit improvement focus. The latest inspection narrative highlights the importance of rapid correction of misconceptions and stronger prioritisation of subject vocabulary. Parents of pupils who need frequent check ins should ask how these priorities are being implemented across departments.

The Hollins is a purposeful 11 to 16 school with a clear values framework, strong enrichment identity, and systems that prioritise conduct, inclusion, and reading. GCSE outcomes are not currently the school’s strongest headline, but for many families the bigger question will be whether their child will thrive in a calm, expectations led environment with meaningful opportunities beyond lessons. Best suited to pupils who respond well to structure, want to take part in projects, performance, or leadership roles, and whose families are prepared to engage early with the admissions process in a competitive local market.