Schools in Nelson

About schools in Nelson

Nelson lists 26 schools, most of them primary schools. Its two secondary schools are where families compare options once a child finishes primary. Older students can carry on at one sixth form or college.

Ofsted inspects every school listed here. Its newer reports judge a school across several areas rather than giving one overall grade, while older reports still carry the previous single grade, so read the framework and the date on each page before you set two schools side by side. Where results have been published you will also find key stage 2 scores for the primary schools and Attainment 8 for the secondary schools. An inspection or a results table captures a school at one past moment, so use this page to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

Key stage 2, 2024/25

61%

of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, across the 16 schools with published results

Key stage 4, 2024/25

38.9

average Attainment 8 score, across the 3 schools with published results

Nursery schools4

• Bradley Nursery School

  Local authority nursery school · Ages 2 to 4

• McMillan Nursery School

  Local authority nursery school · Ages 2 to 5

• Walton Lane Nursery School

  Local authority nursery school · Ages 3 to 5

• Woodfield Nursery School

  Local authority nursery school · Ages 2 to 5

Primary schools17

The figure beside a school is the share of its pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

• Barrowford School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  50%

  expected standard
• Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 4 to 11

  88%

  expected standard
• Blacko Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  75%

  expected standard
• Bradley Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  60%

  expected standard
• Castercliff Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  40%

  expected standard
• Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 5 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  86%

  expected standard
• Lomeshaye Junior School

  Community school · Ages 7 to 11

  80%

  expected standard
• Marsden Community Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  65%

  expected standard
• Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 4 to 11

  58%

  expected standard
• Nelson St Philip's Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 4 to 11

  58%

  expected standard
• Pendle Primary Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  64%

  expected standard
• Roughlee Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  100%

  expected standard
• St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 5 to 11

  18%

  expected standard
• Walverden Primary School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  65%

  expected standard
• Whitefield Infant School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 3 to 7

Secondary schools2

The figure beside a school is its average Attainment 8 score (out of 90) in 2024/25.

• Marsden Heights Community College

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 11 to 16

  40.3

  Attainment 8
• Pendle Vale College

  Community school · Ages 11 to 16

  42.5

  Attainment 8

Sixth forms and colleges1

• East Lancashire Learning Group

  Further education · Ages 16 to 99

Special schools and alternative provision1

• Pendle Community High School & College

  Community special school · Ages 11 to 19

Independent schools1

• Al-Ikhlaas Primary School

  Other independent school · Ages 3 to 11

Common questions about schools in Nelson

How many schools does Nelson have?

OfferDay lists 26 schools in Nelson, including 17 primary schools and four nursery schools.

Who inspects schools in Nelson?

Every school in Nelson is inspected by Ofsted. Newer reports grade several areas of a school separately on a report card, while older reports carry a single overall grade, so check the framework and the date on each page before you compare two schools.

How are schools in Nelson ranked?

OfferDay ranks schools in Nelson where the Department for Education has published results, by key stage 2 scores for primary schools and Attainment 8 for secondary schools. The ranking links are near the top of this page. A results table only captures one part of a school, so use it to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. Information on this page was last updated on 24 July 2026.