Colne Park High School Review 2026: Values-led secondary in Colne with a strong personal development offer

Colne Park High School sits in Colne, Lancashire, serving students aged 11 to 16 as part of Apex Collaborative Trust. Its public message is consistent across website and external evidence: every child matters, and leadership sets out an expectation that nobody is allowed to drift.

In headline outcomes, GCSE performance is broadly in line with the middle of schools in England. Ranked 2,613th in England and 1st in Colne for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). The academic picture, however, does not tell the whole story here. Personal development, careers education, and structured pastoral systems are central features, and families who value those elements often put them high on their shortlist.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Costs are likely to relate to uniform, trips, and optional activities rather than tuition.

A clear through-line is the school’s language of community and shared responsibility, anchored in three stated values: Ambition, Respect, and Collaboration. These are explained in practical terms rather than left as slogans, with resilience, polite conduct, responsibility, and teamwork presented as everyday expectations. For parents, this matters because it signals how behaviour and relationships are framed, and what staff will reinforce when students struggle or fall out.

Pastoral care is organised through a four-house structure: Dragon, Griffin, Pegasus, and Phoenix. The important detail is not the house names, it is the staffing model around them. Each house is described as having a Director of House, a full-time Pastoral Support Worker, and an Assistant Director, with form tutors as the first point of contact for families. The implication is faster response when small issues start to compound, and a clearer line of accountability than families sometimes see in larger secondary settings.

Leadership continuity is also a stabilising factor. The headteacher is Mrs Catherine Eulert, and trust information states she became headteacher in January 2020 after earlier roles at the school, including Deputy Headteacher. In practice, that kind of progression can support consistency in routines and expectations, and it can also shape how quickly the school can carry staff and families through change.

The latest Ofsted inspection (22 and 23 February 2022) confirmed the school remained Good and reported that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Colne Park High School’s GCSE profile, on the FindMySchool measures provided, suggests outcomes around the England middle. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 41.2, and the Progress 8 figure is -0.25. For parents, the key point is what Progress 8 is signalling: students, on average, made slightly less progress from the end of primary than pupils with similar starting points nationally. This is not the same as saying students do not achieve, it is a comparative measure about progress over time, and it is most useful as a prompt for questions about teaching consistency, intervention, and how gaps are identified early.

The EBacc indicators show a mixed picture. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.79, with 12.1% achieving grades 5 or above across EBacc subjects. On its own, that does not define the curriculum experience for every child, but it can matter for families who want a strongly academic pathway across a broad subject suite. You would want to understand how EBacc entry is decided, how languages are supported, and what the school recommends for different learner profiles.

The most decision-useful detail from the dataset is the ranking position and percentile context. Ranked 2,613th in England and 1st in Colne for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Parents comparing schools locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool to view GCSE measures side by side, then focus visits and questions on what is driving any differences.

Curriculum intent is described, in external evidence, as ambitious and carefully structured, with attention to what students may have missed during the pandemic period. That emphasis is important because it often translates into the practical classroom routines parents can ask about, such as sequencing of knowledge, regular retrieval, and consistent checking for misconceptions.

Reading is a notable example of how the school describes its approach. Students read novels regularly with their form tutors, the library is described as well used, and additional support is available for those who find reading difficult, with a catch-up reading curriculum referenced in the report. The implication for families is that literacy is treated as a cross-school priority rather than left only to English lessons, which can be particularly helpful for students who arrive in Year 7 without strong reading fluency.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is described as enabling access to a broad curriculum, including EBacc routes where appropriate, with needs identified accurately and staff given relevant information to support learning. For parents, the practical question is how this is delivered day to day, for example, what adjustments are typical in mainstream lessons, how communication between house teams and subject teachers works, and how progress is reviewed with families.

A balanced note, also reflected in the same evidence base, is that a small number of subjects were identified as less consistent, with some pupils not learning curriculum knowledge with enough depth and precision. When parents hear this, it is worth translating it into concrete questions: how leaders check curriculum delivery across departments, how staff development is targeted, and how students are helped if they fall behind in a specific subject.

Where Students Go Next

Because the school ends at 16, the destination conversation is primarily about post-16 transition. The school highlights careers and further education support, and external evidence describes careers education and personal development as a strong feature of students’ experience. It is sensible to ask, at visit stage, how careers guidance is structured across Years 7 to 11, what is delivered in tutor time, and how families are involved in Year 10 and Year 11 decision points.

Practical touchpoints appear in school communications, such as lunchtime visits from providers like Burnley College to discuss routes after Year 11. That kind of engagement can be especially valuable for students who need a clear sense of options and entry requirements early, rather than treating post-16 planning as a last-minute exercise in Year 11.

Given the absence of a sixth form, parents should also consider logistical implications. Students who are thriving at 16 will be moving on regardless, and the school’s role is to ensure they leave with the academic foundation, guidance, and confidence to choose wisely.

For Year 7 entry, the application route is coordinated through the local authority for families living in Lancashire, with applications for September 2026 opening on 01 September 2025 and the deadline set as 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on the national offer day, 01 March, or the next working day when it falls on a weekend or bank holiday.

The school’s own admissions information directs parents back to their home local authority process, which aligns with standard coordinated admissions. If you are moving into the area, do not assume that a late change of address will be treated the same as an on-time application, local authorities typically set a date for address changes to be considered before allocations, so check the current Lancashire guidance for the relevant cycle.

Open events matter because they are often where families get the best feel for routines, behaviour expectations, and support. The school advertised an annual open evening on 18 September 2025, with guided tours on 22 and 24 September 2025 booked via Eventbrite. Those dates are now in the past, but the pattern is useful. Families looking ahead should expect open events to sit in September and should check the school’s current calendar for the latest information.

Pastoral systems are a defining feature here. The house model, combined with named house leadership and full-time pastoral support workers, suggests a structure designed for early intervention, particularly when attendance, friendship issues, or low-level behaviour begin to affect learning.

Safeguarding is presented as a whole-school responsibility, with an emphasis on prompt action and clear reporting routes for students. The school identifies itself as an Operation Encompass school, which means it expects to receive timely information about police-attended domestic abuse incidents so staff can support affected children appropriately in school. For parents, that signals a safeguarding model that takes account of what happens beyond the school gates, not only what happens in classrooms.

Wellbeing also links to staff workload and culture. External evidence indicates leaders seek to support staff wellbeing and keep workload reasonable, which can influence stability and consistency for students over time.

Extracurricular and enrichment are presented as part of student development rather than an optional add-on. One distinctive feature is the weekly rhythm described on the extracurricular page: additional opportunities are shared every Monday as part of an Ambition briefing led by the headteacher, with opportunities also associated with the Journalism Club and the Student Leadership team. The practical implication is regular visibility of clubs and roles, which tends to increase participation, particularly for students who might not self-select into activities without repeated encouragement.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is clearly structured. All Year 9 pupils are stated to have the opportunity to take part at Bronze level, while Year 10 students can opt into Silver. For parents thinking about confidence-building and employability skills, this kind of programme can be a strong lever, especially when it is not restricted to a small group.

Inclusion-oriented clubs are also explicitly referenced. A classics reading club and an LGBTQ+ group were included among the club examples cited in external evidence, alongside sports and arts activities. These details matter because they indicate a school culture that makes space for different identities and interests, and they provide tangible options for students who do not define school life primarily through sport.

Facilities planning also appears to be active. The school has publicly described work with the Football Association and Football Foundation to deliver a new 3G pitch for the community and the school. For families, the benefit would be improved year-round access to high-quality outdoor sport provision, and potentially stronger links with local clubs.

The published school day starts with tutor time and assembly at 8:40am, and the end of the school day is 3:10pm. The school reception is stated as open from 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday.

Transport matters in Colne, particularly for families balancing school with work and after-school commitments. Local bus services stop on Venables Avenue by the school, and Lancashire County Council timetable information includes routes that run between Colne and Burnley via Venables Avenue. For rail users, Colne station is the local terminus for services into the wider network, which can be useful for older students travelling to post-16 provision after Year 11.

As a secondary school, wraparound care is not typically structured as a primary breakfast and after-school club model. Families should check the current term’s Parents@Park bulletin for the most up-to-date schedule of after-school activities and any supervised provision after 3:10pm.

• Progress measures. A Progress 8 score of -0.25 suggests students, on average, made slightly less progress than peers with similar starting points. Ask how the school identifies early underperformance, and what intervention looks like in Years 7 to 9 before GCSE courses begin.

• Consistency across subjects. External evidence pointed to a small number of subjects where depth and precision were less consistent, with leaders expected to ensure all subject curriculums are delivered well. Families with children who need particularly strong scaffolding should ask how quality is monitored department by department.

• No sixth form. Students will move on at 16. This suits families who already expect a college route, but it is a consideration for those who prefer a single setting through to A-levels.

• EBacc profile. If your child is aiming for a strongly academic, broad GCSE suite, ask how EBacc entry works, what support is available for languages, and how pathways are personalised.

Colne Park High School offers a structured, values-led secondary experience with clear pastoral architecture and a strong emphasis on personal development. Its GCSE outcomes sit around the England middle on the measures provided, but the school’s differentiator is how it organises support, reading, enrichment, and post-16 preparation.

Best suited to families seeking a state secondary in Colne that prioritises consistency, belonging through the house system, and a guided approach to development beyond lessons, especially for students who benefit from regular check-ins and visible opportunities to get involved.