Haslingden High School and Sixth Form

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 June 2026

Pupils, including sixth-form students, feel safe and happy at Haslingden High School and Sixth Form. They are proud of their school and say it feels like a family. This is reflected in the positive relationships that pupils and staff form with each other. Pupils demonstrate the positive behaviours taught to them by staff and this helps them grow as responsible citizens. Pupils value the support that staff offer them academically and pastorally. They know where to access help if they need it, including by using the school’s ‘speak up, speak out’ procedures. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. Because of this and the support they receive, most pupils and students achieve well. Those who face additional barriers to learning, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities, quickly receive the help they need to succeed. Pupils understand what behaviours are expected of them. In lessons and at social times, they behave well. Pupils are polite and courteous. Although rare, pupils know that issues, such as bullying, will be dealt with quickly and effectively. Most pupils attend school regularly. If pupils face barriers to their attendance, leaders put in place effective support to help pupils overcome these. Pupils and students benefit from an impressive offer to further their personal development, including extensive arts provision, sporting clubs and a wide range of cultural experiences. They understand fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance, and how these values are relevant in their own lives. Pupils develop a secure knowledge of the range of post-16 options open to them. Many choose to stay in the school’s sixth form. Whether they leave at 16 or 18, pupils are ready for their next steps into further education, employment or training.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure the strategies they are using to improve attendance are effective in continuing to reduce persistent absence quickly for all pupils.
• Leaders should ensure that the assessment strategies they are using to close gaps in pupils’ skills and knowledge are effective for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is to raise pupils’ achievement across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)