St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn

St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn continues to maintain its status as a good school. Pupils enjoy a positive educational environment characterized by strong relationships with staff and a culture of respect and inclusivity. The high expectations set by leaders are evident in the pupils' commitment to learning and their positive attitudes. The school has a well-structured curriculum that caters to the needs of all students, ensuring effective support for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Leaders prioritize pupil well-being and academic achievement, leading to most pupils achieving well.

Strengths

• Pupils are very happy and excited to learn.
• Staff build strong relationships with pupils, fostering a safe environment.
• Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• A broad and ambitious curriculum is effectively implemented.
• Pupils have many opportunities to develop language and vocabulary.
• Pupils engage positively with reading and have a love for literature.
• The school promotes a culture of respect, celebrating diversity.
• Effective behaviour management leads to rare disruptions.
• Leaders support staff well, providing necessary training and resources.
• Pupils enjoy extensive extracurricular activities and community initiatives.

Areas for Improvement

• In a minority of subjects, teachers struggle with assessment strategies.

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 Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.3% 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, 0.5% of pupils at St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn 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 Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% 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, 14.3% of pupils at St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn received £7,407 and spent £7,388 for each of its 203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £165,000 (£813 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 St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn have?

St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn cover?

St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn?

St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn is at Bennington Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HP.