All Saints' Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Review 2026: A small Catholic 11–16 academy with high demand and a clear improvement agenda

A smaller-than-average secondary in Rawtenstall, All Saints’ combines a clearly articulated Catholic mission with a community feel that families often prioritise at 11-plus transition. The school is part of Romero Catholic Academy Trust and serves students aged 11 to 16, with a published capacity of 500.

Leadership has been a recent focal point. Mrs Francesca Lord took up the headteacher post from September 2023, following an appointment process announced in February 2023.

Demand is strong. For the main Year 7 entry route in the most recent dataset provided, 457 applications competed for 102 offers, which equates to roughly 4.48 applications per place.

The performance picture is mixed. FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places the school below England average for outcomes, and the latest graded inspection outcome remains at Requires Improvement (April 2024).

The school’s identity is intentionally Catholic, and it is presented as a lived culture rather than a bolt-on. The motto is Luceat Lux Vestra (Let Your Light Shine), and it is embedded across mission and Catholic life communications, including daily prayer patterns, Masses, and year-group liturgies.

Families considering a faith school usually want clarity on two practical points: whether the ethos is welcoming to non-Catholic families, and whether the faith dimension is visible day-to-day. On the school’s own account, participation is encouraged regardless of belief, while Catholic practice remains explicit in form-time prayer, collective worship, and chaplaincy-led activity.

There is also evidence of structured student leadership within the faith sphere. The Pupil Chaplaincy Team meets weekly and is linked to service projects, assemblies, and charity activity, with the site describing around 25 students involved. For some children, this kind of defined responsibility becomes a major part of belonging.

This review uses FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings and metrics based on official data, alongside the school’s published inspection outcomes.

GCSE ranking (FindMySchool)

Ranked 3,353rd in England and 4th in Rossendale for GCSE outcomes. This sits below England average when translated into percentile context (the school is positioned below the middle band in England).

Attainment and progress indicators (latest dataset provided)

• Attainment 8 score: 38.1

• Progress 8 score: -0.78

• EBacc APS: 3.12, compared with an England comparator of 4.08

• Percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure: 5.5%

A Progress 8 figure below zero indicates that, on average, students made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally across the GCSE suite. The implication for parents is not that individual children cannot thrive, but that you should scrutinise subject-level support, reading and literacy catch-up, and how consistently teaching checks for gaps. External evidence also points to unevenness between subjects and year groups, which can feel very different depending on your child’s strengths and the option choices they make later.

Curriculum intent is framed through the Catholic mission, but the day-to-day question is implementation. Official reporting points to a broad and balanced curriculum structure, with improvements underway, while also flagging that some subjects were still at an early stage of development at the time of the most recent inspection. Where curriculum planning is not consistently secure, students can experience variation in sequencing and in how well new learning connects to prior knowledge.

One practical positive for families of students who need additional support is the school’s emphasis on identification and participation for students with special educational needs and disabilities, alongside a stated push to strengthen reading support. The key nuance in the external evidence is consistency across year groups, with younger students benefiting more clearly from the newer reading support approach than some older peers.

For parents, two useful “visit questions” follow from this:

1. What does support look like in lessons, not just in interventions, and how is impact checked half-term by half-term?

2. How do departments identify misconceptions early, especially in subjects where curriculum refinement is still ongoing?

This is an 11–16 school, so post-16 progression depends on external providers, such as local sixth forms and further education colleges. The school does not publish a single, consistent set of destination percentages in the public materials reviewed here, and the dataset provided contains no validated leaver-destination figures for this phase.

The practical implication is that families should treat Year 9 and Year 11 guidance as a key part of the offer, especially for students who need structured support with option choices, apprenticeships routes, or applications to competitive sixth forms. If post-16 continuity matters, ask specifically how the school manages careers education, employer encounters, and applications timelines across Year 10 and Year 11.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Lancashire’s local authority process rather than directly through the school for the main intake. For September 2026 entry, Lancashire confirms applications open on 1 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025.

Demand is clearly high in the most recent dataset provided: 457 applications for 102 offers, with a subscription proportion of 4.48. First-preference demand also exceeded offers, with a first-preference ratio of 1.18 (meaning first-choice applications were higher than the number of first-preference offers). This typically translates into a process where meeting faith and priority criteria matters, and where families should plan early and use realistic backup preferences.

Because this is a Roman Catholic academy, admissions criteria commonly prioritise, in order, looked-after children and previously looked-after children, baptised Catholic children (often with additional priority for siblings and partner primary links), then other categories. The precise ordering and documentary requirements can change year to year, so families should always check the determined arrangements for the relevant entry year before relying on a place.

Open evenings are referenced as part of transition planning and are described as typically taking place in the autumn term, with follow-on information events for allocated families and a Year 7 induction day later in the summer term.

If you are comparing distances or are unsure how likely admission is from your address, the FindMySchool Map Search is the sensible way to sense-check your position, then validate against the local authority’s latest published guidance.

Pastoral provision is strongly emphasised in the school’s Catholic life materials, with a structured chaplaincy programme and service opportunities. The chaplaincy model is also linked to practical leadership development through Faith in Action awards and charity work, which can suit students who respond well to responsibility and belonging.

At the same time, families should weigh this pastoral narrative against the more operational issues highlighted in formal reporting. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership, and quality of education were all graded at Requires Improvement in the most recent inspection cycle, which indicates that consistency and implementation remain priorities across the school day.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the latest published inspection report, which is a baseline requirement and an important reassurance, particularly where a school is working through broader improvement actions.

The extracurricular picture here is best understood as several distinct strands rather than one generic “clubs list”.

Music and performance

Instrumental tuition is clearly signposted, with specific examples including keyboard or piano, drums, guitar, and singing, offered as shared or individual lessons depending on availability. Choir also appears as a recurring feature in Catholic events and in external reporting.

Sport and participation

External reporting references an array of sports clubs and teams, supported by student sports leaders. This matters for a smaller school, because leadership roles and participation can be easier to access than in larger settings where teams are heavily stratified.

Faith, service, and community action

The Pupil Chaplaincy Team, charity initiatives (for example CAFOD-linked activity and local charity support), and Faith in Action awards provide structured options for students who like purposeful activity that links to values.

Out-of-classroom recognition and funding

Friends of All Saints (FOAS) describes fundraising that has supported, among other items, Duke of Edinburgh Award equipment and transport support for trips and events. This is not the same as a guaranteed programme, but it does show the kind of practical enrichment a supportive parent community can enable over time.

The published school-day structure shows breakfast from 08:00, form time and the official start of day at 08:30, and the official end of the day at 14:35–14:40, with after-school activities following.

Transport arrangements vary by family location across the Rossendale Valley; the school signposts dedicated bus information for parents, and Lancashire’s coordinated admissions system remains the correct route for Year 7 applications.

• Inspection outcome and improvement pace. The most recent graded inspection outcome is Requires Improvement across the main judgement areas, so families should look closely at consistency of teaching, behaviour routines, and how improvement actions show up in day-to-day lessons.

• Outcomes indicators are currently weak. A Progress 8 score of -0.78 signals below-average progress from KS2 to GCSE across the suite, which makes subject support and literacy catch-up especially important discussion points for prospective families.

• Oversubscription is a real constraint. With 457 applications for 102 offers in the most recent dataset, admission is a genuine hurdle and you should plan preferences strategically.

• No sixth form on site. Post-16 progression requires a transition to other providers, so careers guidance and Year 11 planning are central to the experience.

All Saints’ offers a clearly defined Catholic identity, a smaller-school feel, and strong community structures such as chaplaincy leadership and service pathways. Admission demand is high, and the current improvement agenda is a central part of the story, both in terms of inspection outcomes and in the performance indicators provided.

It best suits families who want a faith-led 11–16 school in the Rossendale Valley, are comfortable engaging actively with school improvement conversations, and can make realistic plans for oversubscription and post-16 transition.