Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is performing well, maintaining its status as a good school. The school is characterized by a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued. There is a strong emphasis on inclusive teaching, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, can thrive academically. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of its diverse student body and prepares them well for future challenges. However, attendance remains a concern, with a notable number of students being persistently absent, impacting their overall learning experience.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
• Strong community ties with supportive relationships among pupils, staff, and parents.
• Effective curriculum that caters to the diverse needs of pupils.
• High expectations that motivate pupils to achieve well.
• Strong focus on reading and early literacy.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, ensuring they participate fully in all aspects of school life.
• High staff morale and supportive leadership.

Areas for Improvement

• Significant number of pupils are persistently absent, missing important 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 Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.8% 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 Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England 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 St Thomas' Church of England Primary School had 25.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.7% 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 Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 St Thomas' Church of England Primary School received £6,307 and spent £6,403 for each of its 444 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £353,000 (£795 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

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What is Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School have?

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School has 464 pupils on roll.

What age range does Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School cover?

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?

Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is at Newton Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1NE.