Accrington Academy is a mainstream secondary school in Accrington, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. In January 2026, 109 of its 953 pupils (11.4%) were getting SEN support and 25 (2.6%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–16
- 953 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Lancashire.
11.4% get SEN support
109 of 953 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
2.6% have an EHC plan
25 of 953 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Speech, language and communication54
- Social, emotional and mental health42
- Moderate learning difficulty16
- Autism13
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia5
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy (sponsored)
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 953 (places for 1,150)
- Headteacher
- Mr Oliver Walker (Principal)
- Part of
- United Learning Trust
- Faith
- Christian
- Free school meals
- 42% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 135649
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Lancashire council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, March 2025
Inspected in March 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Sixth formRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Queens Road West, Accrington, BB5 4FF
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Park View Independent · Ages 8–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
- The Willows Independent · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.7 miles
- Oswaldtwistle Moor End Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.8 miles
- Shadsworth Infant School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 3.2 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School Secondary · Ages 11–18 · SEN support 8.3%, EHC plans 3.8% 0.2 miles
- Accrington St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary School Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 18.8%, EHC plans 2.8% 0.3 miles
- Accrington St John with St Augustine Church of England Primary School Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 13%, EHC plans 4.3% 0.5 miles
All mainstream schools in Lancashire SEND schools in Lancashire
Questions about Accrington Academy
How many pupils at Accrington Academy have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 109 of the 953 pupils (11.4%) were getting SEN support and 25 (2.6%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Accrington Academy?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are speech, language and communication needs (54 pupils), social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (42 pupils) and moderate learning difficulties (16 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Accrington Academy?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Accrington Academy?
Through Lancashire council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Accrington Academy?
You can ask for Accrington Academy to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Accrington Academy have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Oswaldtwistle Moor End Primary School, about 1.8 miles away.
Where is Accrington Academy?
Queens Road West, Accrington, BB5 4FF, in Lancashire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.