Voluntary aided school · Blackburn with Darwen

St Stephen's Church of England Primary School

4–11Ages
392Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
119439URN

Robinson Street, Blackburn, BB1 5PE · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Category of concern: Requires significant improvement

Report card · inspected Apr 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.6per place

0.7 below Blackburn with Darwen median (2.3)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Blackburn with Darwen

76 applications for 49 places · 42nd of 46 in Blackburn with Darwen

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

63%met the expected standard

Blackburn with Darwen 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Ofsted category of concern: Requires significant improvement

Report card · inspected 28 April 2026Published 13 September 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention	Urgent improvement
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching			Needs attention
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour				Urgent improvement
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance			Needs attention

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

28 April 2026
Report card · 3 Expected standard, 3 Needs attention, 1 Urgent improvement
8 February 2022
Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.6applications per place, Reception

0.7 below Blackburn with Darwen median (2.3) 0.6 below England median (2.2)

76 applications · 49 places offered · 46 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 1.6; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.3
2025 1.7; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.4
2024 1.6; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.5
2023 1.7; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.3
2022 1.9; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.2
2021 1.5; Blackburn with Darwen median median 1.9
2020 1.4; Blackburn with Darwen median median 1.8
2019 1.5; Blackburn with Darwen median median 1.9
2018 1.4; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2017 1.7; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2016 1.5; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2015 1.7; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2014 2.0; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.4

More applications per place than the Blackburn with Darwen median in 0 of 13 years.

This school
Blackburn with Darwen median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	49	76	1.6	46	0.94
Sep 2025	48	81	1.7	46	0.96
Sep 2024	48	77	1.6	46	0.96
Sep 2023	51	86	1.7	50	0.98
Sep 2022	37	69	1.9	34	0.92
Sep 2021	51	74	1.5	49	0.96
Sep 2020	55	77	1.4	48	0.87
Sep 2019	49	75	1.5	43	0.88
Sep 2018	41	57	1.4	33	0.80
Sep 2017	47	82	1.7	44	0.94
Sep 2016	58	88	1.5	55	0.95
Sep 2015	48	83	1.7	44	0.92
Sep 2014	49	96	2.0	42	0.86

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 76% · Writing 64% · Maths 88% → all three 63% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard63%25th of 51 in Blackburn with Darwen

Blackburn with Darwen 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard76%

Blackburn with Darwen 76% England 78%

Higher standard36%

Blackburn with Darwen 28% England 33%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard64%

Blackburn with Darwen 72% England 75%

Greater depth5%

Blackburn with Darwen 8% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard88%

Blackburn with Darwen 78% England 77%

Higher standard32%

Blackburn with Darwen 20% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Blackburn with Darwen median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	63%	5%	105	106
2023/24	66%	5%	106	107
2022/23	68%	8%	105	106

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

St Stephen's Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Requires significant improvement 2026

1.6applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Daisyfield Primary School
0.4 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Good2023

3.3applications per place 78%met the SATs standard
Brookhouse Primary School
0.8 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Remains Good2022

2.5applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
Cedars Primary School
0.9 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Standards maintained2025

1.9applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
1.0 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.7applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
St Michael With St John CofE Primary School
1.2 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Remains Good2022

1.9applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
1.3 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Remains Good2024

2.2applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
1.3 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Remains Good2022

2.4applications per place 66%met the SATs standard
Roe Lee Park Primary School
1.4 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Remains Good2023

2.0applications per place 66%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 119439 · 889/3333
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 420 pupils · 392 on roll
Free school meals: 25.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Replaced: St Stephens's Church of England Infant School Blackburn (URN 119508)
Address: Robinson Street, Blackburn, BB1 5PE
Local authority: Blackburn with Darwen

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources