The Alternative School

All-through
Independent
Ages 6 to 18

No Ofsted inspection

30 St. James Street, Accrington, BB5 1NTOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

The Alternative School is an all-through school in Accrington for ages 6 to 18. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire.

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted has not published an inspection of The Alternative School.

The Alternative School on the Ofsted website (opens in a new tab)

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

43 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score2.4

2.4, 43.7 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%

0%, 45.4 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%

0%, 64.8 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc0%

0%, 40.5 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score0.15

0.15, 3.94 below the England average of 4.09.

Pupil numbers and mix

172 pupils on roll, with places for 260

Special educational needs support21.5%

21.5%, 6.7 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan78.5%

78.5%, 72.5 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near The Alternative School

School	Distance	Ofsted	Results
Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn	0.7 miles	Report card: Expected standard to strong standard	Attainment 8: 42.7
Accrington Academy	0.7 miles	Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good	Attainment 8: 39.4
Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School	0.8 miles	Report card: Expected standard to strong standard	Attainment 8: 50.7
Rhyddings	1 mile	Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement	Attainment 8: 36.5
The Hollins	1 mile	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 40.7

School details

School type: Other independent school
Sector: Independent
Age range: 6 to 18
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: Yes
Nursery classes: No
Headteacher: Ms Kirsty Swierkowski
Phone: 01282851800
Website: thealternativeschool.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Address: 30 St. James Street, Accrington, BB5 1NT
Local authority: Lancashire
URN: 136237

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.