How many pupils does Unity College have?

Unity College has 1,416 pupils on roll, according to Department for Education data.

What is Unity College's Ofsted rating?

Unity College was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection (20 February 2024).

How does Unity College perform at GCSE?

Pupils at Unity College achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 38 in 2025/26.

Where is Unity College?

Unity College is located at Townley Holmes, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3DF.

Unity College

Townley Holmes, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3DF

Requires Improvement

Inspected 20 February 2024

Requires Improvement

Ofsted

Attainment 8

Secondary

Phase

11–16

Ages

1,416

Pupils

Mixed

Gender

Foundation school

Type

About Unity College

Unity College is a foundation school in Burnley, Lancashire, England, for pupils aged 11–16. It has 1,416 pupils on roll. Its most recent Ofsted inspection (20 February 2024) rated it Requires Improvement. At GCSE, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 38 (2025/26). 34.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.6% have English as an additional language.

School Information

Local Authority: Lancashire →
School Type: Foundation school
Phase: Secondary
Age Range: Ages 11–16
Gender: Mixed
Pupils / Capacity: 1,416 / 1,480 (96%)
Sixth Form: Does not have a sixth form
Nursery: No Nursery Classes
Religious Character: None
Admissions Policy: Non-selective
Last Ofsted Inspection: 20 February 2024

Pupil profile

2025/26

Who attends this school — useful context if you’re considering teaching here.

34.8%

Free school meals

9.6%

EAL

2.4%

SEN support

19.4%

EHC plan

Source: DfE School Census, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Results & performance

2025/26

Official Department for Education results, pupil destinations and attendance.

GCSE results (Key Stage 4)

38.0

Attainment 8

287 pupils

30.7%

Grade 5+ English & Maths

47.4%

Grade 4+ English & Maths

Progress 8 isn’t published for this year group: their Key Stage 2 baseline (2021 SATs) was cancelled during the pandemic, so a progress measure can’t be calculated. GCSE figures are provisional and may be revised.

Where pupils go next

82%

Sustained destination

73%

Stayed in education

Apprenticeship

Attendance

13.0%

Overall absence

35.8%

Persistent absence

Source: Department for Education performance tables, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Some independent schools’ qualifications (e.g. IGCSEs) are not all reflected in these figures.

Workforce

2024/25

Staffing at this school, with the trend over recent years — useful if you’re considering working here.

Teachers (FTE)

↓ -0.9 vs 2023/24

Pupils per teacher

↓ -0.1 vs 2023/24

31.04

Teaching assistants (FTE)

↑ +6.5 vs 2023/24

£48,250

Avg teacher salary

Mean · 11% on leadership pay

↑ +£5,887 vs 2023/24

Teacher vacancies

0% rate

→ 0 vs 2023/24

Leadership (FTE)

↑ +2.6 vs 2023/24

Data for the 2024/25 academic year (trend lines show 3 years). Source: DfE School Workforce Census, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. State-funded schools only.

School finances

2024-25

How this school is funded and where the money goes — per pupil.

£9,630

Spend per pupil

£9,538

Income per pupil

49%

Spent on teaching staff

Source: DfE school finance returns (CFR for council-maintained schools, AAR for academies), 2024-25, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Per-pupil figures are calculated from total income/expenditure.

Contact Details

Address: Townley Holmes, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3DF
Phone: 01282683010
Head Teacher: Jane Richardson
Website: http://www.unity-college.com/

Teaching Jobs

Pastoral & welfare

Pastoral Support Officer

Fixed term or temporaryPart timeGrade 6 SCP 11 - 19 (£29,071 - £33,119)

Closes in 6 daysView & apply

Support Staff

Examination Invigilator

PermanentPart time£13.45 per hour plus holiday pay

Closes in 6 daysView & apply

Applications handled externally

Recruitment agencies in Burnley

Coming soon

Teaching agencies that actively recruit in Burnley will be listed here.

Run an agency? Get your agency listed

Frequently asked questions

What type of school is Unity College?: Unity College is a foundation school in Burnley, Lancashire, England, for pupils aged 11–16.
How many pupils does Unity College have?: Unity College has 1,416 pupils on roll, according to Department for Education data.
What is Unity College's Ofsted rating?: Unity College was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection (20 February 2024).
How does Unity College perform at GCSE?: Pupils at Unity College achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 38 in 2025/26.
Where is Unity College?: Unity College is located at Townley Holmes, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3DF.

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