Voluntary aided school · Blackburn with Darwen

St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

4–11Ages
419Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
119499URN

Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, BB2 1SN · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jul 2024 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.1per place

0.2 below Blackburn with Darwen median (2.3)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Blackburn with Darwen

125 applications for 60 places · 26th of 46 in Blackburn with Darwen

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

70%met the expected standard

Blackburn with Darwen 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 2 July 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision	Outstanding

Inspection history

2 July 2024
Graded inspection: Good
23 February 2023
Ungraded inspection: School remains Outstanding (Concerns)

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

2.1applications per place, Reception

0.2 below Blackburn with Darwen median (2.3) close to England median (2.2)

125 applications · 60 places offered · 54 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.1; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.3
2025 2.1; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.4
2024 2.2; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.5
2023 2.6; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.3
2022 2.0; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.2
2021 2.0; Blackburn with Darwen median median 1.9
2020 2.2; 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 1.3; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2016 1.2; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2015 1.6; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.0
2014 1.6; Blackburn with Darwen median median 2.4

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	60	125	2.1	54	0.90
Sep 2025	60	124	2.1	59	0.98
Sep 2024	60	129	2.2	57	0.95
Sep 2023	60	156	2.6	76	1.27
Sep 2022	60	120	2.0	52	0.87
Sep 2021	60	119	2.0	67	1.12
Sep 2020	60	132	2.2	64	1.07
Sep 2019	60	92	1.5	53	0.88
Sep 2018	58	80	1.4	50	0.86
Sep 2017	44	59	1.3	34	0.77
Sep 2016	60	69	1.2	41	0.68
Sep 2015	35	57	1.6	28	0.80
Sep 2014	46	72	1.6	37	0.80

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 82% · Writing 80% · Maths 85% → all three 70% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard70%13th of 51 in Blackburn with Darwen

Blackburn with Darwen 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard82%

Blackburn with Darwen 76% England 78%

Higher standard22%

Blackburn with Darwen 28% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard80%

Blackburn with Darwen 72% England 75%

Greater depth13%

Blackburn with Darwen 8% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard85%

Blackburn with Darwen 78% England 77%

Higher standard37%

Blackburn with Darwen 20% England 24%

Average scaled score 107 (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	70%	7%	106	107
2023/24	73%	5%	105	104
2022/23	63%	8%	104	104

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 Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Good2024

2.1applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
0.5 km · Blackburn with Darwen

2026

1.9applications per place 59%met the SATs standard
Queen Elizabeth's Primary School
0.7 km · Blackburn with Darwen

2026

2.4applications per place 45%met the SATs standard
St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School
0.9 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.3applications per place 46%met the SATs standard
St Silas's CofE Primary School
0.9 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Good2023

3.1applications per place 59%met the SATs standard
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
0.9 km · Blackburn with Darwen

2025

2.2applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy
0.9 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Outstanding2023

3.3applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Griffin Park Primary School
0.9 km · Blackburn with Darwen

2026

1.9applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
St Michael With St John CofE Primary School
1.1 km · Blackburn with Darwen

Remains Good2022

1.9applications per place 69%met the SATs standard

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

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 119499 · 889/3465
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 420 pupils · 419 on roll
Free school meals: 34.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, BB2 1SN
Local authority: Blackburn with Darwen

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources