Grammar schools in Darwen
There are no grammar schools in Darwen.
Grammar schools are state secondaries that select by ability, usually through an 11+ test. Only 46 of the 226 local authorities in the UK still have any, and Blackburn with Darwen is not one of them, so every state secondary in Darwen admits without a selective test.
The nearest is Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, about 9.1 miles away in Lancashire. Most grammar schools accept out-of-area applicants, though distance is often a tie-breaker when a school is oversubscribed.
Nearest grammar schools to Darwen
Straight-line distance from the centre of Darwen — not a travel time.
| School | Area | Distance | Intake | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School | Rossendale | 9.1 miles | Mixed | Inadequate |
| Clitheroe Royal Grammar School | Clitheroe | 12.5 miles | Mixed | Outstanding |
| Urmston Grammar Academy | Manchester | 17.8 miles | Mixed | Good |
| Stretford Grammar School | Manchester | 19.0 miles | Mixed | Good |
| Sale Grammar School | Sale | 20.5 miles | Mixed | Outstanding |
| Loreto Grammar School | Altrincham | 22.0 miles | Girls | Outstanding |
Published admissions priorities
These are extracts from school-specific arrangements for the entry years shown, in priority order. They are not the full policy or a prediction of an offer. Check the linked arrangement for test eligibility, deadlines and all remaining priorities.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Looked After/Previously Looked After Children (published source)
- Children attending Area 1 primary schools, ranked by entrance exam mark (siblings at BRGS get priority within this tier) (published source)
- Children attending Area 2 primary schools, ranked by entrance exam mark (siblings at BRGS get priority within this tier) (published source)
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Looked After/Previously Looked After Children (published source)
- Immediate catchment area residents eligible for Pupil Premium (published source)
- Immediate catchment area residents (published source)
Urmston Grammar Academy — 2026 entry
- Looked after and previously looked after children (published source)
- About 15 places for the highest-scoring Pupil Premium children (minimum 324), wherever they live (published source)
- About 20 places for the top scorers, wherever they live (published source)
Stretford Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Looked after and previously looked after children, including those adopted from state care outside England (published source)
- Children in the catchment area receiving the Pupil or Service Premium (published source)
- Children with a sibling at the school in Years 7–11 (published source)
Sale Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Looked after and previously looked after children (published source)
- Up to 15 Pupil Premium children: first those in the priority area (nearest first), then those at a Trafford state primary living elsewhere in Trafford (in score order) (published source)
- Children living in the priority area (M33, plus Trafford addresses in M23, WA14 and WA15) — nearest first (published source)
Loreto Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Baptised Roman Catholic looked after and previously looked after girls (published source)
- Baptised Roman Catholic girls with a sister at the school (published source)
- Baptised Roman Catholic girls at an associated primary school living in a nominated Local Pastoral Area (published source)
Schools in Darwen
Darwen has 19 open schools. Browse all Darwen schools with Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and admission criteria, or see them on the map.
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