Burnley Brunshaw Primary School

Burnley Brunshaw Primary is a larger-than-average primary school in Burnley with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and above-average levels of SEND, including a specialist SEND unit called The Meadows for pupils with communication and interaction needs, including autism. Safeguarding standards are met. Inspectors found an inclusive, welcoming school where vulnerable pupils, including those who have struggled in previous schools or had periods of absence, are well supported and begin to prosper. The school's personal development and wellbeing work is a notable strength, with highly effective pastoral support, a rich programme covering equality, British values and protected characteristics, and a wide range of clubs, careers learning and pupil leadership roles. Curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and leadership and governance are all meeting expected standards. Leaders have improved phonics and reading, support staff wellbeing and workload well, and the expert work of The Meadows has a positive impact on pupils and parents. Pupils behave respectfully, bullying is rare and well managed, and pupils feel safe. The main concerns are published attainment in reading and mathematics, which has been below average, and disadvantaged pupils' outcomes, which remain low with wide gaps, especially in mathematics. Attendance and persistent absence are above national averages, and it is too soon to see the full impact of recent improvements in teaching, curriculum and attendance. Leaders are also asked to sharpen pupil premium spending, strengthen the impact of attendance work and further develop governors' understanding of the school's impact.

Strengths

• Highly effective pastoral support helps vulnerable pupils feel calm, safe and ready to learn.
• A rich personal development programme develops pupils' knowledge of equality, British values, protected characteristics and the wider world.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, arts, music, sport and leadership roles such as school council.
• The Meadows SEND unit provides expert, specialist support that has a notably positive impact on pupils and parents.
• Leaders are strongly committed to inclusion and welcome pupils who have struggled in previous schools.
• Staff identify and support pupils with SEND effectively, including through strong links with families and professionals.
• Leaders have improved the teaching of phonics and reading and created a strong reading culture.
• Early years provision is well designed, with effective support for children's physical development, language and wellbeing.
• Pupils behave respectfully, bullying is rare and well managed, and pupils feel safe.
• Leadership is well organised and experienced, with effective support for staff wellbeing and workload.
• Governors are committed to the school and challenge and support leaders effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Published attainment in reading and mathematics has been below average over time.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment is low, with wide gaps compared with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, especially in mathematics.
• Pupils' overall absence and persistent absence are above national averages.
• It is too soon to see the impact of recent curriculum, teaching and attendance improvements in published outcomes.
• Published information does not show how well pupils with SEND or those who join after struggling elsewhere achieve from their starting points.
• Pupil premium spending plans and objectives are not sufficiently sharp to maximise impact.
• Governors' understanding of the school's impact is less precise than it could be.

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 Burnley Brunshaw Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.9% 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 Burnley Brunshaw 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 Burnley Brunshaw Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.6% 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, 20.5% of pupils at Burnley Brunshaw Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% 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 Burnley Brunshaw Primary School received £7,789 and spent £7,625 for each of its 414 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £182,000 (£438 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 Burnley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Burnley Brunshaw Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Burnley Brunshaw Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Burnley Brunshaw Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Burnley Brunshaw Primary School have?

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School has 414 pupils on roll.

What age range does Burnley Brunshaw Primary School cover?

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 23% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Burnley Brunshaw Primary School?

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School is at Morse Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4PB.