Longshaw Infant School

Longshaw Infant School is performing well overall, with strong leadership and a clear commitment to ensuring that all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs, receive the support they need to succeed. Despite facing challenges due to the socio-economic background of many students, leaders are ambitious and meticulous in their strategies to foster a culture of learning and support. The school's inclusive environment helps most pupils make sound progress in their learning, as they transition from early years to Year 2, effectively preparing them for key stage 2. The school has strengths in safeguarding, with all standards met, contributing to a safe and nurturing atmosphere. Attendance is improving, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, although persistent absence remains a concern. The curriculum is broad and balanced, although there are occasional lapses in lesson design that make it harder for some pupils to demonstrate their understanding. Overall, the school is under new leadership, which is a key context for its recent performance and ongoing development.

Strengths

• Strong leadership with a clear vision for pupil success
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• A safe and nurturing environment that meets safeguarding standards
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• High-quality training for staff to meet diverse pupil needs
• Improvements in attendance rates for disadvantaged pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence rates are above the national average
• Inconsistent lesson design affects pupil understanding

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 Longshaw Infant School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.5% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Longshaw Infant 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 Longshaw Infant School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.8% 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, 17.2% of pupils at Longshaw Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.4% 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 Longshaw Infant School received £9,931 and spent £9,864 for each of its 203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £198,000 (£977 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Blackburn · Blackburn with Darwen local authority: places and applications

What is Longshaw Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Longshaw Infant School is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Longshaw Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Longshaw Infant School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Longshaw Infant School have?

Longshaw Infant School has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does Longshaw Infant School cover?

Longshaw Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Longshaw Infant School?

Longshaw Infant School is at Crosby Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NF.