St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn is a voluntary aided school in Blackburn for pupils aged 2 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 395 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn is Good, from an inspection in January 2023. In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: January 2023. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Voluntary aided school |
| Age Range | 2-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Earl Street Blackburn Lancashire BB1 8EG |
| Phone | 01254698335 |
| Reference Number | 119502 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 395 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.38%
Girls: 49.62% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 23.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 97.5% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.7 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 21.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 27 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 17 | 48 |
| 2 | 17 | 25 | 42 |
| 3 | 10 | 28 | 38 |
| 4 | 32 | 28 | 60 |
| 5 | 31 | 27 | 58 |
| 6 | 28 | 32 | 60 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Pakistani | 47.6% |
| Indian | 33.2% |
| Asian, Other | 7.8% |
| White, Other | 2.8% |
| White, British | 1.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 1% |
| White & Asian | 0.5% |
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn has been confirmed to still be a good school, continuing to provide a supportive and friendly environment for its pupils. The school excels in ensuring that pupils feel safe and happy, with strong interpersonal relationships between staff and students. Leaders have established an ambitious and well-structured curriculum that meets the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The effective teaching practices in early years education and support for reading are notable strengths of the school, contributing to the overall achievement of pupils.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 06 Dec 2022 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 06 Dec 2022 | School inspection |
| 13 Jun 2017 | Short inspection |
| 23 Apr 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 15 Mar 2011 | Monitoring visit |
| 12 Oct 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Feb 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 19 Mar 2001 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils feel safe and happy at school.
- Strong relationships exist between staff and pupils.
- Leaders provide an ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
- The school effectively supports pupils with SEND.
- Children in early years are well-prepared for Year 1.
- Pupils have opportunities for personal development through various activities.
Areas for Improvement
- Some older pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to practice their reading.
- A number of pupils are regularly absent from school.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 66% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 2% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 107 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 108 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -2.3 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | -1.5 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -1.7 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 34 | 1 |
| Third Preference | 32 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn had 375 pupils for 420 places. 45 places (10.7%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Blackburn North Primary” planning area
Blackburn with Darwen counted 589 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 507 in 2029–30, down 14%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 414 | 414 | 414 | 414 | 414 | 414 | 414 | 414 | 414 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| Pupils | 399 | 410 | 401 | 408 | 382 | 378 | 377 | 390 | 394 | 374 | 385 | 400 | 388 | 384 | 375 |
| Unfilled | 3.6% | 1.0% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.9% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 11.0% | 8.3% | 4.8% | 7.6% | 8.6% | 10.7% |
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 St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.9% | 4.2% | 4.5% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 0.9% |
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, 0.2% of pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 11.9 | 8.4 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 9.9 | 10.8 | 12.0 | 10.5 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 2.2% | 4.2% | 13.2% | 0.0% | 7.3% | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 18.0% | 15.9% | 9.7% | 0.0% | 4.4% | 2.6% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 46.2% | 54.5% | – | 42.9% | 73.9% | 58.3% | 50.0% | 58.3% | – | 47.6% | 81.0% | 52.0% | 73.1% | 68.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 3.2 | 5.0 | – | 1.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.6 | – | 1.6 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 6.9 | 3.5 | – |
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, 21.3% of pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 41 | 3 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 31 | 0 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 7 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 0 | 4 |
| Physical disability | 2 | 0 |
| Down's syndrome | 1 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
| Profound and multiple learning difficulty | 0 | 1 |
| Vision impairment | 1 | 0 |
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 St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn received £7,198 and spent £7,107 for each of its 379 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £88,000 (£232 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £194,000 | £178,000 | £269,000 | £203,000 | £58,000 | £31,000 | £54,000 | £88,000 |
| per pupil | £479 | £430 | £646 | £481 | £134 | £74 | £127 | £232 |
| In-year balance | £57,000 | -£16,000 | £91,000 | -£67,000 | -£145,000 | -£27,000 | £23,000 | £34,000 |
| per pupil | £140 | -£38 | £219 | -£159 | -£339 | -£63 | £54 | £91 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
Brookhouse Primary School
Troy Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 6NY |
0.34 miles |
|
St Michael With St John CofE Primary School
Swallow Drive, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 6LE |
0.41 miles |
|
Cedars Primary School
St. James's Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8HQ |
0.45 miles |
|
Queen Elizabeth's Primary School
West Park Road, QEGS West Park Rd, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF |
0.54 miles |
|
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Trinity Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5BN |
0.59 miles |
|
St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LQ |
0.7 miles |
|
Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School
184 Whalley Old Rd, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5NZ |
0.76 miles |
|
Dar Ul Madinah
Granville Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6HD |
0.78 miles |
|
Lammack Primary School
Lammack Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8LH |
0.78 miles |
|
Daisyfield Primary School
Clinton Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5LB |
0.79 miles |
|
St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1SN |
0.81 miles |
|
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Lynwood Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6HQ |
0.81 miles |
|
Ashworth Nursery School
Addison Close, Blackburn, BB2 1QU |
0.81 miles |
|
Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Wilworth Crescent, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8QN |
0.82 miles |
|
St Stephen's Church of England Primary School
Robinson Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5PE |
0.82 miles |
|
St Gabriel's Church of England Primary School
Wilworth Crescent, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8QN |
0.87 miles |
|
St Silas's CofE Primary School
St Silas Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6JP |
0.88 miles |
|
St Matthew's Church of England Primary School
Withers Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1DF |
0.96 miles |
|
Brunel Nursery School
Cambridge Street, Blackburn, BB1 1ES |
0.96 miles |
|
Roe Lee Park Primary School
Emerald Avenue, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 9RP |
1.06 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
West Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF |
0.54 miles |
|
Blackburn College
Blackburn College, Harrison Centre, Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LH |
0.69 miles |
|
Pleckgate High School
Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8QA |
0.72 miles |
|
Islamiyah School
Willow Street, Little Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5NQ |
0.75 miles |
|
Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda UK School
30 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT |
0.9 miles |
|
Rawdhatul Ilm Wal Huda
32 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT |
0.94 miles |
|
Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School
Sumner Street, Blackburn, BB2 2LD |
1.08 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
Duckworth Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2JR |
1.11 miles |
|
Al Islah Girls' High School
108 Audley Range, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1TF |
1.16 miles |
|
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School
Preston New Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 7AD |
1.18 miles |
|
Blackburn Central High School
Haslingden Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HJ |
1.45 miles |
|
Witton Park Academy
Buncer Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6TD |
1.51 miles |
|
Markazul Uloom
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NY |
1.63 miles |
|
Noorul Uloom
Park Lee Rd, Blackburn, BB2 3NY |
1.63 miles |
|
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
North Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1PY |
1.72 miles |
|
Newfield School
Old Bank Lane, Off Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2PW |
1.88 miles |
|
Westholme School
Wilmar Lodge, Blackburn, BB2 6QU |
1.91 miles |
|
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
Green Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4SR |
2.49 miles |
|
Eden School
Heys Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4NW |
2.5 miles |
|
The Hyndburn Academy
Stourton Street, Rishton, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 4ED |
2.83 miles |
All schools in Blackburn · Blackburn with Darwen local authority: places and applications
What is St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.
When was St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn last inspected by Ofsted?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn was last inspected in January 2023.
How many pupils does St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn have?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn has 395 pupils on roll.
What age range does St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn cover?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn for pupils aged 2 to 11.
What are St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn?
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn is at Earl Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8EG.