Blackburn Primary School

Blackburn Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its good rating from the last inspection. Students enjoy a positive, supportive environment, exhibiting kindness and resilience, with minimal occurrences of bullying. The school's curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, helping students acquire essential knowledge and skills, which prepares them effectively for their future education. Engagement in extracurricular activities further contributes to their personal development. While leaders have prioritized reading and provide extensive support and resources, there are some areas for improvement. Specifically, pupils' understanding of diverse cultures and religions is limited, suggesting a need for a broader curriculum that addresses these topics. Additionally, some students with more complex social, emotional, and mental health needs require better strategies for support, as current guidance may not adequately help them engage in learning.

Strengths

• Pupils have a strong sense of belonging and safety.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced.
• Leaders prioritize reading, leading to improved fluency and confidence among pupils.
• Pupils develop their talents through various extracurricular activities.
• Staff feel well supported and proud to work at the school.
• Governors actively engage with school leaders to monitor school effectiveness.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not have frequent opportunities to learn about diversity and modern British society.
• Teachers lack clear strategies to support pupils with complex SEMH needs.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Blackburn Primary School attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.2% of pupils at Blackburn Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Blackburn Primary School had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.0% of pupils at Blackburn Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Blackburn Primary School received £8,462 and spent £8,383 for each of its 143 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £54,000 (£377 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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All schools in Rotherham · Rotherham local authority: places and applications

What is Blackburn Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Blackburn Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Blackburn Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Blackburn Primary School was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Blackburn Primary School have?

Blackburn Primary School has 143 pupils on roll.

What age range does Blackburn Primary School cover?

Blackburn Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Blackburn Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Blackburn Primary School?

Blackburn Primary School is at Baring Road, Blackburn, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S61 2BU.