Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School is a mainstream secondary school in Accrington, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 106 of its 1,280 pupils (8.3%) were getting SEN support and 49 (3.8%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,280 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Lancashire.
8.3% get SEN support
106 of 1,280 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
Lower than the England average.
3.8% have an EHC plan
49 of 1,280 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health38
- Autism29
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia23
- Speech, language and communication22
- Moderate learning difficulty18
- Physical disability6
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
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,280 (places for 1,280)
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Richard Jones
- Part of
- Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School
- Faith
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 15.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 137421
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
Report card, May 2026: Expected standard in 6 of 7 areas
Inspected in May 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post-16Expected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, March 2022).
Contact and getting there
Queen's Road West, Accrington, BB5 4AY
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 1.1 miles
- The Willows Independent · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 miles
- Oswaldtwistle Moor End Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.6 miles
- Shadsworth Infant School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 3.0 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Accrington Academy Secondary · Ages 11–16 · SEN support 11.4%, EHC plans 2.6% 0.2 miles
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 18.7%, EHC plans 4.8% 0.3 miles
- Accrington St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary School Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 18.8%, EHC plans 2.8% 0.4 miles
All mainstream schools in Lancashire SEND schools in Lancashire
Questions about Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School
How many pupils at Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 106 of the 1,280 pupils (8.3%) were getting SEN support and 49 (3.8%) 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 St Christopher's Church of England High School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (38 pupils), autism (29 pupils) and dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (23 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School?
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 St Christopher's Church of England High School?
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 St Christopher's Church of England High School?
You can ask for Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School 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 St Christopher's Church of England High School 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 1.6 miles away.
Where is Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School?
Queen's Road West, Accrington, BB5 4AY, 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.