Sir John Thursby Community College

Sir John Thursby Community College is performing well overall, receiving a 'Good' rating across all domains during its inspection. Pupils appreciate a strong sense of belonging and safety in the school environment, bolstered by effective leadership and a commitment to supporting educational achievement. The school offers an ambitious curriculum that prepares students well for their future, leading to high rates of progression into apprenticeships and further education. Notable strengths include leadership opportunities for students, strong support for those with SEND, and a positive school culture that respects diversity.

Strengths

• Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and safety.
• High expectations for academic and behavioral standards.
• Effective support for pupils with diverse needs.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
• Strong leadership and management that engages staff.
• High rates of progression to further education and training.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent effectiveness in checking pupils' learning.
• Lack of clarity in curriculum specificities in some subjects.

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 Sir John Thursby Community College attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 11.4% of pupils at Sir John Thursby Community College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Sir John Thursby Community College had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 11.9% of pupils at Sir John Thursby Community College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Sir John Thursby Community College received £10,450 and spent £10,571 for each of its 1,122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £757,000 (£675 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 Burnley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Sir John Thursby Community College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sir John Thursby Community College is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Sir John Thursby Community College last inspected by Ofsted?

Sir John Thursby Community College was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Sir John Thursby Community College have?

Sir John Thursby Community College has 1,121 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sir John Thursby Community College cover?

Sir John Thursby Community College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Sir John Thursby Community College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.3, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sir John Thursby Community College?

Sir John Thursby Community College is at Eastern Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2AT.