Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy is underperforming in key educational areas, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics, where many pupils, including those disadvantaged and those with special educational needs, have significant gaps in essential knowledge. Despite some strengths in safeguarding, attendance, and the overall wellbeing of students, leaders have struggled to translate these strengths into academic achievement. The school is part of the Cidari Multi Academy Trust, which provides additional support, but the current curriculum and teaching strategies have proven inadequate for addressing persistent underperformance. Leaders need to sharpen their focus on the effectiveness of their initiatives to improve both teaching quality and pupil outcomes.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, ensuring pupil safety.
• Leaders have high expectations of pupils' attendance.
• Pupils feel safe and supported in their school environment.
• Staff build warm and respectful relationships with pupils.
• Good support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils have not achieved well enough in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Many pupils do not secure essential knowledge in key areas.
• Inconsistent teaching does not enable effective curriculum learning.
• Gaps in knowledge persist due to lack of timely support.
• Expectations for early years learning are too low.

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 Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy 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 Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.2% 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, 19.3% of pupils at Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 2024–25 Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy received £8,751 and spent £8,014 for each of its 162 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £247,000 (-£1,523 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Cidari Education Limited, income was £8,446 and spending £8,235 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). 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Blackburn · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy is part of Cidari Education Limited, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School Blackburn
• St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy Blackburn
• St Silas's CofE Primary School Blackburn
• Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy Darwen
• Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy Darwen
• St Matthew's Church of England Primary Academy Preston
• Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School Burnley
• Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy Nelson
• Appley Bridge All Saints Church of England Primary Academy Wigan
• Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy Preston

What is Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy have?

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy has 150 pupils on roll.

What age range does Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy?

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy is at Mount St James, Stanhill Road, Knuzden, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2DR.