Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

Postal address Glen Road
Waterfoot
Rossendale
BB4 7BJ  
Telephone 01706 234500
Headteacher Mr A Porteous
Number on roll January 2025 1056
Admission number 2026/27 180

Information relating to autumn term 2025 year 7 admissions

Total parental preferences (considered equally)

1st 219 
2nd 108
3rd 78
Total preferences received 405

Summary of policy

Year 7 Admission for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

The published admission number is 180. As a designated Grammar School, the school is allowed to select its entire intake on the basis of high academic ability. Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School does not have to fill all places if applicants have not reached the required standard within the selection procedure.

Oversubscription criteria

1) Looked after children or a child who was previously looked after, but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangement order, or special guardianship order or those children who appear to the school to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

2) Children attending Area 1 primary schools ranked in order of overall entrance examination mark – schools listed below.

3) Children attending Area 2 primary schools ranked in order of overall entrance examination mark – schools listed below.

4) Children of staff employed at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School for 2 or more years at the time at which the application for admission is made, and / or the member of staff has been recruited to fill a post where there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

5) All other children ranked in order of overall entrance examination mark.

Tie-breaker

Where two (or more) children have the same ranking and consideration of the above area priorities has already been applied, then the children who live nearest from their home address to the school are given priority. This distance is measured using the postal address of the school, in a direct line to the actual address for the child’s home.

If the distance between home and school is the same, which includes the same geographical property reference (such as a block of flats), random allocation is used as a tie-breaker. Lancashire County Council’s School Admissions Team will undertake the random allocation process in the presence of a school representative.

For the purposes of this policy, attendance at an Area 1 or 2 primary school is defined as being for the duration of year 6, as a minimum.

Area 1 primary schools are as follows:

  • Balladen Primary, Rawtenstall
  • Britannia Community Primary, Bacup
  • St. Paul’s CE Primary, Rawtenstall
  • Crawshawbooth Primary, Crawshawbooth
  • Holy Trinity CE Primary, Stacksteads
  • Newchurch CE Primary, Newchurch
  • Northern Primary, Bacup
  • Sharneyford Primary, Bacup
  • St. Anne’s Edgeside CE, Waterfoot
  • St. James the Less RC Primary, Rawtenstall
  • St. Joseph’s RC Primary, Stacksteads
  • St. Mary’s CE Primary, Rawtenstall
  • St. Mary’s RC Primary, Bacup
  • St. Peter’s RC Primary, Newchurch
  • St. Saviour’s Community Primary, Bacup
  • Thorn Primary, Bacup
  • Water Primary, Rossendale
  • Waterfoot Primary, Waterfoot

Area 2 primary schools are as follows:

  • Broadway Primary, Haslingden
  • Edenfield CE, Edenfield
  • Haslingden Primary, Haslingden
  • Helmshore Primary, Helmshore
  • Our Lady & St Anselm’s RC Primary, Whitworth
  • St. Bartholomew's CE Primary, Whitworth
  • St. James CE Primary, Haslingden
  • St. John’s Stonefold CE Primary, Accrington
  • St. John with St. Michael CE Primary, Shawforth
  • St. Mary’s RC Primary, Haslingden
  • St. Veronica’s RC Primary, Helmshore
  • Stubbins Primary, Stubbins
  • Tonacliffe Primary, Whitworth

Transport (Years 7-11)

Please see the main school admissions section.

Parents in any doubt over the distance between home and school for the provision of transport are asked to check with their local area education office. This may be particularly relevant if you live close to a county border.