Feniscowles Primary School

Feniscowles Primary School continues to perform well, demonstrating a commitment to high expectations and ambitions for all pupils. Most students are engaged and proud of their learning, supported by positive relationships with staff who encourage resilience and hard work. Pupils benefit from a variety of extracurricular activities that bolster their personal development and foster an inclusive atmosphere. However, there are areas in the curriculum where some pupils do not achieve as well as expected due to inconsistencies in subject delivery and foundational knowledge continuity from early years to Year 1. The school, which has not been graded since before the COVID-19 pandemic, is noted for its effective safeguarding measures. While the majority of the curriculum is well-structured and promotes knowledge retention, leaders need to address specific subjects where teacher subject knowledge is lacking. This inspection marks the school's first routine assessment since the pandemic, allowing it to reflect on adaptations and recovery in its educational approach.

Strengths

• Leaders have high expectations for all pupils.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils foster a supportive environment.
• Pupils exhibit good behavior and manners.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well-organized for most subjects.
• Effective reading support helps pupils become confident readers.
• Strong emphasis on character development through extracurricular activities.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements are in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent subject delivery impacts pupil achievement in some areas.
• Some teachers lack the necessary subject knowledge for effective curriculum delivery.
• Key knowledge from early years is not effectively built upon in Year 1 for some subjects.

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 Feniscowles Primary School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.1% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Feniscowles 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 Feniscowles Primary School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 9.4% of pupils at Feniscowles Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Feniscowles Primary School received £6,292 and spent £6,633 for each of its 417 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £158,000 (£379 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 Feniscowles Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Feniscowles Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Feniscowles Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Feniscowles Primary School have?

Feniscowles Primary School has 417 pupils on roll.

What age range does Feniscowles Primary School cover?

Feniscowles Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Feniscowles Primary School?

Feniscowles Primary School is at Livesey Branch Road, Feniscowles, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 5EG.