St Matthew's Church of England Primary School

St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is performing at an expected standard but requires attention in certain areas. While the school has made significant improvements in attendance and behaviour, the academic outcomes for many pupils, particularly those in key stage 2, are not meeting national averages. The school caters to a diverse and multicultural community, which presents both strengths and challenges in educational attainment. Leaders face the ongoing task of enhancing the curriculum and ensuring that all students, particularly those with additional needs, receive adequate support.

Strengths

• Effective safeguarding practices are in place.
• Leaders have improved attendance to be in line with national averages.
• Strong behaviour management and high expectations have been established.
• Pupils develop positive relationships and feel safe.
• A diverse range of enrichment activities is offered to pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Many pupils do not achieve outcomes that match national averages in key stage 2.
• Inconsistent delivery and expectations in early years curriculum.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is insufficient.
• Leaders need to tighten tracking and monitoring of academic progress.

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 Matthew's Church of England Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.0% 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, 2.2% of pupils at St Matthew's 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 St Matthew's Church of England Primary School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.0% 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, 18.6% of pupils at St Matthew's Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.6% 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 St Matthew's Church of England Primary School received £8,668 and spent £8,619 for each of its 279 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £297,000 (£1,065 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). This school files a single return with the other schools in its federation, so the figures are for the whole federation.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Blackburn · Blackburn with Darwen local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was St Matthew's Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Matthew's Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does St Matthew's Church of England Primary School have?

St Matthew's Church of England Primary School has 258 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Matthew's Church of England Primary School cover?

St Matthew's Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Matthew's Church of England Primary School?

St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is at Withers Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1DF.