Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy Review 2026: High-performing 11–16 with faith-led admissions

Strong outcomes sit at the heart of this Croston secondary, and the data backs that up. For GCSE performance, it ranks 642nd in England and 1st locally in the Leyland area (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England. That headline is reinforced by a high Attainment 8 score of 58.2 and a Progress 8 score of +0.53, which indicates students typically make well above average progress from their starting points.

This is a Church of England academy with a clearly articulated Christian vision, and the school’s approach to admissions reflects that, with priority given through faith commitment and geographic criteria. The published admission number for Year 7 entry in 2026/27 is 190.

Facilities are more extensive than many 11–16 schools, including eight science laboratories, a modern Learning Support building, a 3G pitch, and a chapel used for worship and reflection. For families seeking a secondary without sixth form, the school’s destinations tracking is unusually transparent, with detailed post-16 pathways published each year.

The school’s identity is explicitly Christian, and that shows up in language, routines, and the way community expectations are framed. The motto, Fortiter et Fideliter (Bravely and Faithfully), appears in staff and student-facing materials and signals a values-led approach to conduct, relationships, and service.

The headteacher is Mr Paul Cowley, who has been in the role since being confirmed as headteacher in 2014. Leadership continuity matters in schools of this size because it tends to stabilise behaviour systems, curriculum planning, and staff culture. A recent church-school evaluation in November 2025 emphasised the clarity of the school’s Christian vision and the centrality of worship and pastoral care to daily life.

Pastoral structures are clearly defined, with year-group leadership and tutor teams positioned as the everyday first line of support. The school describes a consistent expectation that issues are handled in a way aligned to Christian ethos, meaning behaviour is framed not only as compliance, but also as learning, repair, and reintegration into the community.

Performance metrics point to a school that is academically ambitious and effective across the cohort. The Attainment 8 score of 58.2 is strong, indicating high average grades across a broad set of GCSE subjects. Progress 8 of +0.53 suggests students, on average, make significantly better progress than students with similar prior attainment nationally, which is an important marker of the school’s impact.

Ranked 642nd in England and 1st in the Leyland area for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), results place the school above England average overall, within the top 25% of schools in England (25th percentile and better). This matters for parents comparing “good local schools” because it indicates performance is not merely adequate, it is consistently strong relative to most schools.

EBacc breadth is also a meaningful feature here. The school’s EBacc average point score is 5.3, compared with an England average of 4.08, suggesting students are doing well across this academic subject mix. The proportion achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc is 39.5%, which indicates a substantial group reaching a solid pass standard in this academically stretching basket.

A key implication is that this is unlikely to be a “teach to the middle and hope” environment. With positive progress and strong attainment, pupils who work steadily tend to be carried upward rather than left to plateau. For high prior attainers, the combination of ambition and curriculum breadth can be a good match, provided they are comfortable with the expectations that sit alongside that.

The curriculum model is clearly structured and intentionally sequenced. The school describes a two-stage approach, with Years 7 and 8 positioned as “foundation knowledge” years, followed by a Key Stage 4 model spanning Years 9 to 11. The useful parent takeaway is that Year 9 is treated as more than a holding year, it is framed as the point at which learning accelerates and GCSE pathways become more serious and coherent.

EBacc pathways have a prominent role. The school states that students study core subjects and have the opportunity to take a language, with EBacc encouraged as a pathway for all. In practice, that tends to mean a stronger emphasis on academic foundations, including literacy, extended writing, and subject vocabulary, which can benefit students planning A-level routes post-16.

Facilities support this curriculum intent in a concrete way. Eight science laboratories, including dedicated rooms for physics, biology and chemistry, make it easier to teach practical science as a normal rhythm rather than an occasional event. The Art and Technology block is designed to support a wide range of practical and creative subjects, including textiles, engineering, computing and graphics.

The latest Ofsted inspection in November 2021 graded the school Good overall, with Outstanding for Behaviour and Attitudes. Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding is effective.

As an 11–16 school, the transition at the end of Year 11 is a major feature of school life. What stands out here is the level of detail published about destinations. In the summer of 2025, 191 students left; 181 progressed to college or sixth form to study A-levels or vocational awards, 7 moved into private apprenticeships, and 2 took a year out.

The breakdown of post-16 providers shows a strong local college pattern. For 2025 leavers, the largest destination was Runshaw College (112 students, 59%), followed by Cardinal Newman College (29 students, 15%). Other destinations included Wigan and Leigh College (8), Preston College (7), Myerscough College (6), and smaller numbers to a range of other providers.

Course-level reporting adds further clarity. In 2025, A-level routes accounted for 106 students (56%), vocational routes for 68 students (36%), apprenticeships for 10 students (5%), and T Levels for 5 students (3%). For families, the implication is straightforward: this is not a narrow “one route only” school. Academic pathways are common, but well-trodden vocational and apprenticeship routes are also visible and normalised.

Admissions are coordinated through Lancashire’s normal secondary admissions process, with a national closing date for applications of 31 October 2025 for September 2026 entry, and offers notified on 1 March 2026. The school states that it prioritises places through faith commitment and geographic criteria, with a foundation and named parish focus. It also notes that it does not give priority to applicants from particular primary schools.

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, the school’s published admission number is 190. That figure is important because it frames the size of the intake and, indirectly, the level of competition when local demand is high.

Open events follow the typical Lancashire pattern of early autumn. Local authority admissions information for South Lancashire listed the school’s open evening in late September in the most recent cycle, which is a helpful indicator of the usual timing, even though families should always confirm the current year’s calendar.

A practical point for families considering a later move is that in-year admissions are handled directly by the school, with the school indicating it will respond within 15 school days if a year group is full or oversubscribed.

Parents weighing distance should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check travel practicality and realistic journey times, then stress-test that against the school’s published admissions criteria rather than relying on anecdotal catchment assumptions.

Pastoral support is structured around tutors and Heads of Year, with a named Assistant Headteacher overseeing pastoral care. The published pastoral model emphasises that students have consistent daily contact through tutor time and a year team that tracks them through their time in school.

SEND support is positioned as a dedicated team rather than a small add-on. The school states that the Learning Support team supports students across a wide range of needs, including physical difficulties, learning difficulties, behavioural issues, and speech, language and communication needs. The dedicated Learning Support building is described as a quieter space away from the main school for students who need targeted support, which is a meaningful practical detail because it suggests provision is built into the site and timetabling, not improvised.

Faith context is also relevant to wellbeing. The school’s worship spaces include both the main hall and a chapel used for weekly tutor-group worship, reflection, and meetings. For some students, that rhythm provides structure and reassurance; for others, it is simply a normal part of a Church of England school day.

The extracurricular offer is framed around participation, points, and progression rather than informal “nice to have” clubs. Students earn points for club attendance, which feed into the school’s wider awards culture. That system is likely to suit students who respond well to visible milestones and recognition.

Several named programmes stand out because they signal coherent intent. The Personal Enrichment Passport (PEP), introduced for 2024/25, is positioned as a structured way for Year 7 and Year 8 students to set and review “pledges” across the year, and to log enrichment experiences for future applications. The implication is that enrichment is treated as part of personal development, not simply entertainment, which can particularly benefit quieter pupils who need a prompt to try something new.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is available from Year 10, and the school has delivered it since 2015. For many pupils, this becomes a first serious experience of long-term commitment outside lessons, with planning, teamwork and resilience demanded over time rather than in one-off events.

Student Voice is another identifiable strand, positioned as a representative body across year groups. Combined with the school’s inter-house competition model, it suggests there are multiple “routes to leadership”, not only the most obvious prefect-style roles.

Sports facilities are substantial, including playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, netball and tennis courts, and a 3G pitch. The practical implication is that sports participation can be supported year-round, including in wetter months when grass pitches limit fixtures elsewhere.

The school day runs from 8.55am to 3.16pm, with the revised daily structure in place from January 2026. As a secondary school, there is no breakfast or after-school wraparound model in the primary sense; families should instead plan around transport, extracurricular sessions, and any supervised provision that may operate at specific times.

For travel, the school highlights that school bus services are organised through Lancashire’s Safer Travel arrangements, which is relevant for families outside Croston itself. Rail access is also workable for some families; Croston station typically has an hourly service to Preston and Ormskirk on weekdays, which can support mixed-mode commuting for older pupils when paired with local bus or walking routes.

• Faith-shaped admissions. Priority is awarded through faith commitment and geographic criteria, with a foundation and named parish focus. Families who are not aligned with a Church of England school’s ethos should read the admissions policy carefully before relying on preference order.

• No sixth form on site. The transition after Year 11 is a structural fact here, not an optional choice. The good news is that the school publishes detailed destination patterns, but families should still engage early with open events and application timelines for colleges and sixth forms.

• High expectations. Strong Progress 8 and attainment suggest a school where expectations are consistently reinforced. For some students this is motivating; for others, it can feel pressurised unless parents and school work closely on planning, routines, and support.

• Site size and movement. Facilities are broad, with multiple blocks including specialist areas. This suits many students, but pupils who find transitions difficult may need careful induction and support planning, particularly at the start of Year 7.

Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy combines a clear Christian identity with notably strong academic outcomes for an 11–16 school. The results profile suggests both high attainment and meaningful progress across the cohort, while facilities and structured enrichment programmes add depth beyond GCSE delivery alone. Best suited to families who want a values-led Church of England education, are comfortable engaging with faith-based admissions criteria, and are happy to plan early for post-16 transition to local colleges and sixth forms.