Could Mount Carmel be the place where your child thrives?
Choosing a secondary school is a big decision. We want you to have the chance to discover Mount Carmel properly, meet us, ask questions and see the school in action before you make it.
More than choosing a school
You are choosing the community your child will belong to, the people who will encourage them and the environment in which they will spend some of the most important years of their life.
At Mount Carmel, faith, ambition and excellence sit at the heart of school life. Every young person is encouraged to achieve their best, develop their confidence and discover the talents and interests that will shape their future.
A school where children belong
Our latest Ofsted inspection provides a powerful picture of everyday life at Mount Carmel.
Strong inclusion
Ofsted judged inclusion to be a Strong standard, highlighting the sense of belonging throughout the school and the support provided for vulnerable pupils.
Known and supported
Inspectors found that staff know pupils well, build highly positive relationships and quickly identify when a young person may need additional reassurance or support.
Children achieve well
Ofsted reported that pupils typically achieve well and that many make remarkable progress from their starting points.
Life beyond lessons
Children benefit from a wide range of enrichment, clubs, trips, leadership opportunities and experiences designed to raise aspiration and develop confidence.
Pupils are welcomed as valued members of the Mount Carmel family from the moment they join the school.
Ofsted, November 2025Before you leave our website to apply...
The formal application is made through Lancashire County Council rather than directly through Mount Carmel.
We know that moving between websites, admission criteria, deadlines and different forms can sometimes make the process feel more complicated than it really is.
In this short video, our Headteacher explains what happens next, what you need to do and what to expect when you click through to Lancashire County Council.
If you are uncertain about any part of the admissions process, please contact us. We would much rather you ask.
The best way to understand Mount Carmel is to experience it
A website can tell you a lot. Walking through the doors, meeting our pupils and staff and seeing the school at work tells you rather more.
Come to our Open Evening
Our Open Evening gives prospective pupils and their families the opportunity to explore the school, meet staff and pupils and experience the warm, caring atmosphere of Mount Carmel.
Open Evening informationPrefer something more personal?
You can also book time directly with the Headteacher for a more personal conversation and an opportunity to look around the school.
We know families often have questions which are specific to their child. This gives you the time and space to ask them.
Book a meeting with the HeadteacherGet a flavour of our Open Evening
Applying for a Year 7 place
Lancashire parents apply for Year 7 places online through Lancashire County Council.
Explore Mount Carmel
Read about the school, watch our videos and come to see us if you can.
Check the criteria
Read our admissions criteria below and check whether supporting information is required.
Apply to Lancashire
Complete the Local Authority's online secondary school application.
Send anything we need
For example, baptised Catholic pupils should provide a copy of their baptismal certificate to school.
Continue to Lancashire County Council
This link takes you away from the Mount Carmel website to Lancashire County Council's school admissions service.
How places are allocated
If Mount Carmel receives more applications than there are places available, the Governing Body offers places using the priority order below.
Children in public care
Children in public care and previously looked after children, including IAPLAC, children adopted from state care outside England.
Catholic pupils and partner Catholic schools
a) Baptised Catholic pupils.
b) Other pupils who attend a partner Catholic school.
Church & Oswaldtwistle Cluster schools
Pupils attending one of the Church & Oswaldtwistle Cluster schools.
Christian faith primary schools
Pupils who attend a Christian faith primary school.
Siblings
A pupil who has a sibling who would be concurrently on roll at the school.
Other applicants
Any other pupil.
Which schools and categories does this include?
Use the sections below to check the detailed definitions and school lists. Click or tap a heading to open it.
A Baptised Catholic pupils Click to see what you need to provide
Send a copy of the pupil's baptismal certificate to:
Mount Carmel R.C. High School
Wordsworth Road
Accrington
BB5 0LU
Please mark the envelope 'pupil admissions'. Alternatively, the certificate may be handed into the school office.
B Partner Catholic schools Click to see the schools included
- St Anne's & St Joseph's Accrington
- St Mary's Clayton-Le-Moors
- St Mary's Oswaldtwistle
- St Oswald's Accrington
- Sacred Heart Accrington
C Church & Oswaldtwistle Cluster schools Click to see the schools included
- St Andrew's CE Primary
- Green Haworth CE Primary
- Hippings Methodist Primary
- Knuzden St Oswald's CE Primary
- Moor End
- St Nicholas CE Primary
- St Paul's CE Primary
- St Peter's CE Primary
- West End
D Christian faith primary schools Click to see the schools included
- All Saints CE Primary
- Altham St James CE Primary
- Baxenden St John's CE Primary
- Benjamin Hargreaves CE Primary
- St John's with St Augustine's CE Primary
- St Mary Magdalen's CE Primary
- Other Christian faith schools
What happens if applicants have the same priority?
Where there are more applicants than available places within a category, distance between the Ordnance Survey address points for the school and home is used as the final determining factor. Nearer addresses have priority over more distant ones.
Where the cut-off point involves addresses within the same building, the same distance measurement will apply and the Local Authority's random draw system will determine which address or addresses receive an offer.
Talk to us before you apply
Mount Carmel is a Voluntary Aided school. If you are unsure how the admission criteria apply to your child, or simply want to talk through your application, please contact us.
Telephone: 01254 233458
Admission number: 162
Policies and application documents
The documents below contain the full statutory admissions information. Select a document to open or download it.
