Cedars Primary School

Cedars Primary School is a warm and welcoming environment where pupils enjoy attending and thrive academically. The school has high expectations for all students and fosters strong relationships between staff and pupils, contributing to a positive learning atmosphere. Leaders have successfully implemented a broad and rich curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge and skills over time, particularly in areas like reading and mathematics. Despite some areas of concern regarding attendance, the overall quality of education is good, and the recent leadership changes are expected to further enhance the school's positive trajectory.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Broad and rich curriculum fostering academic growth
• High expectations instilled by leaders
• Pupils actively participate in various extracurricular activities
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Good performance in early years phonics screening

Areas for Improvement

• Lack of knowledge among pupils about fundamental British values
• Need for governors to ask more questions about non-core subjects
• Persistent student absences due to family holidays affecting learning

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 Cedars Primary School attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Cedars 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 Cedars Primary School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.4% 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, 23.8% of pupils at Cedars Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Cedars Primary School received £7,323 and spent £7,190 for each of its 384 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £326,000 (£849 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 Cedars Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cedars Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Cedars Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cedars Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Cedars Primary School have?

Cedars Primary School has 407 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cedars Primary School cover?

Cedars Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cedars Primary School?

Cedars Primary School is at St. James's Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8HQ.