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Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy

Primary Ages 3-11 463 pupils Blackburn
Ofsted: Outstanding
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Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is an academy converter in Blackburn for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 463 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in October 2023. In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. It is hard to get into: 28 of the 85 families who put it first for a Reception place in September 2026 did not get one.

Ofsted inspection: October 2023. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-11
Religion Church of England
Address Manor Road
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB2 6LX
Phone 01254667449
Reference Number 139514

General Makeup

Number of pupils 463
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 49.68%
Girls: 50.32%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 10.4%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 95.7%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 30.9
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 30
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 30.1

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 26 34 60
2 32 28 60
3 33 27 60
4 31 30 61
5 26 34 60
6 38 22 60

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
Pakistani 67.8%
Indian 25.1%
Mixed, Other 2.2%
White, British 1.7%
Asian, Other 0.9%

Wensley Fold Church of England Primary Academy is performing outstandingly across all areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. As a newly established academy, it has built on a history of exceptional performance as a primary school. The school provides an engaging and broad curriculum that meets the diverse needs of its students, allowing all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve high outcomes.

Overall Ofsted Rating Outstanding
 >  Quality of education Outstanding
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Outstanding
  >  Personal Development Outstanding
  >  Leadership & Management Outstanding
  >  Early Years Provision Outstanding
Last Report Date 13 Sep 2023
Date Report
13 Sep 2023 School inspection:
04 Apr 2013 Academy conversion letter
18 Oct 2010 Curriculum and development visit
Previously as Wensley Fold (VC) Church of England Primary School
26 Jun 2009 Full inspection:
07 Feb 2007 Curriculum and development visit
28 Feb 2006 Full inspection:
15 Jan 2001 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Exceptional quality of education with high expectations for all pupils.
  • Impeccable behaviour and positive attitudes among students.
  • Strong personal development opportunities and extracurricular activities.
  • Effective strategies for teaching reading and phonics.
  • Inclusive approach that supports pupils with SEND.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 83%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 0%

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 108
Maths 108

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 -0.4
Writing 0.7
Maths 2.8

How many students meet the standards

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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.

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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.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 53 2
Third Preference 55 0
From another Local Authority 2 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy had 422 pupils for 420 places. That is 2 more pupils than the school has room for.

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%.

201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 420420420420420420420420420420420420
Pupils 275306333364392420420421421421421422
Unfilled 34.5%27.1%20.7%13.3%6.7%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%

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 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.5%3.5%4.0%3.6%2.8%2.4%2.7%3.7%3.7%2.9%3.3%
Unauthorised absence 0.5%0.7%0.8%0.9%1.0%0.7%0.6%0.8%0.9%1.0%0.8%
Severely absent pupils 0.4%0.0%0.3%0.6%0.0%0.0%0.3%0.5%0.0%0.3%0.0%

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, 0.4% of pupils at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.70.00.70.90.4
Permanent exclusions 000000000000

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 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy had 25.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 16.99.511.412.711.911.611.612.912.213.312.812.513.2
Teachers who left state teaching 8.3%5.5%12.5%6.2%9.1%0.0%5.0%17.6%11.1%11.8%11.1%9.1%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 73.3%44.4%50.0%35.0%31.8%50.0%–5.9%42.9%30.0%19.0%27.8%–
Sick days per teacher 3.32.23.81.42.02.5–0.13.33.70.41.1–

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, 14.0% of pupils at Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 59 10
Autistic spectrum disorder 2 5
Physical disability 2 3
Hearing impairment 1 0
Moderate learning difficulty 0 1
Social, emotional and mental health 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 2024–25 Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy received £6,017 and spent £6,068 for each of its 473 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £217,000 (£459 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2019202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £438,000£480,000£515,000£506,000£469,000£243,000£217,000
per pupil £1,048£1,146£1,223£1,205£1,114£535£459
In-year balance -£97,000£42,000£36,000-£8,000-£38,000-£226,000-£24,000
per pupil -£232£100£86-£19-£90-£498-£51

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

Name Distance
St Silas's CofE Primary School
St Silas Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6JP
0.33 miles
Dar Ul Madinah
Granville Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6HD
0.39 miles
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Lynwood Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6HQ
0.41 miles
The Olive School, Blackburn
Meins Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6QQ
0.45 miles
Griffin Park Primary School
Cavendish Place, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2PN
0.54 miles
Ashworth Nursery School
Addison Close, Blackburn, BB2 1QU
0.54 miles
St Barnabas and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1SN
0.57 miles
Queen Elizabeth's Primary School
West Park Road, QEGS West Park Rd, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF
0.61 miles
St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Blackburn
Hawkins Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2RY
0.77 miles
St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School
Hancock Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2LZ
0.8 miles
St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LQ
0.86 miles
St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy
Norfolk Street, Mill Hill, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4EW
0.97 miles
St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn
Earl Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8EG
1.15 miles
St Michael With St John CofE Primary School
Swallow Drive, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 6LE
1.17 miles
Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery
Shorrock Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4TT
1.19 miles
Lammack Primary School
Lammack Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8LH
1.31 miles
Meadowhead Junior School
Anglesey Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4QG
1.31 miles
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Trinity Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5BN
1.42 miles
Brunel Nursery School
Cambridge Street, Blackburn, BB1 1ES
1.42 miles
Longshaw Community Junior School
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NX
1.44 miles
Name Distance
Witton Park Academy
Buncer Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6TD
0.43 miles
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School
Preston New Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 7AD
0.48 miles
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
West Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF
0.61 miles
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
Duckworth Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2JR
0.65 miles
Blackburn College
Blackburn College, Harrison Centre, Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LH
0.75 miles
Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School
Sumner Street, Blackburn, BB2 2LD
0.87 miles
Westholme School
Wilmar Lodge, Blackburn, BB2 6QU
1.01 miles
St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn
Green Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4SR
1.49 miles
Markazul Uloom
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NY
1.52 miles
Noorul Uloom
Park Lee Rd, Blackburn, BB2 3NY
1.52 miles
Pleckgate High School
Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8QA
1.59 miles
Al Islah Girls' High School
108 Audley Range, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1TF
1.64 miles
Blackburn Central High School
Haslingden Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HJ
1.67 miles
Eden School
Heys Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4NW
1.82 miles
Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda UK School
30 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT
1.88 miles
Islamiyah School
Willow Street, Little Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5NQ
1.9 miles
Rawdhatul Ilm Wal Huda
32 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT
1.93 miles
Newfield School
Old Bank Lane, Off Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2PW
2.27 miles
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
North Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1PY
2.28 miles
Darwen Vale High School
Blackburn Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0AL
2.76 miles

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

What is Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy have?

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy has 463 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy cover?

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy?

Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy is at Manor Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6LX.

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