Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is an academy sponsor led in Blackburn for pupils aged 11 to 16. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 770 pupils on roll. In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.6, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE. Attendance is a concern: pupils missed 13.8% of sessions in 2024/25 (the national figure for secondary schools is 8.4%), and 41% of pupils were persistently absent. Many teachers don't stay: 32% of its teachers had left the school a year later (in 2024/25), against 14% nationally.
GCSE results: 2026.
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | North Road Blackburn Lancashire BB1 1PY |
| Phone | 01254588388 |
| Reference Number | 150308 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 770 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.26%
Girls: 49.74% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 47.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 38.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 71 | 71 | 142 |
| 8 | 83 | 75 | 158 |
| 9 | 79 | 72 | 151 |
| 10 | 81 | 80 | 161 |
| 11 | 73 | 85 | 158 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 44.4% |
| Pakistani | 20.5% |
| White, Other | 11.8% |
| Unclassified | 5.7% |
| African | 3.6% |
| Indian | 3.5% |
| Asian, Other | 2.9% |
| White & Asian | 1.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.4% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.3% |
| Caribbean | 0.3% |
| Chinese | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 36.6 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 24.7% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 38.4% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
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See how Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Year 7 admissions, 2026 entry
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 48 | 7 |
| Third Preference | 41 | 3 |
| From another Local Authority | 5 | 0 |
Previous years
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In 2024–25 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy had 811 pupils for 900 places. 89 places (9.9%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Year 7 intake in the “Blackburn Secondary” planning area
Blackburn with Darwen counted 1,768 Year 7 pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 1,338 in 2031–32, down 24%.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 900 | 900 |
| Pupils | 816 | 811 |
| Unfilled | 9.3% | 9.9% |
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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy attended 86.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 40.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 5.5% | 5.7% |
| Unauthorised absence | 9.3% | 8.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 8.6% | 8.0% |
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, 18.6% of pupils at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 10 pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 97.6 | 102.3 |
| Permanent exclusions | 9 | 10 |
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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 10.4 | 11.2 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 12.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 67.9% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 7.2 | – |
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, 17.5% of pupils at Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Social, emotional and mental health | 42 | 8 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 39 | 10 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 11 | 4 |
| Physical disability | 13 | 1 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 12 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 11 | 1 |
| Hearing impairment | 3 | 0 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 2 | 0 |
| Vision impairment | 2 | 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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2024–25 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy received £9,123 and spent £8,685 for each of its 814 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £32,000 (£39 per pupil).
Across all 16 schools of Romero Catholic Academy Trust, income was £8,388 and spending £8,280 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £32,000 |
| per pupil | £39 |
| In-year balance | £356,000 |
| per pupil | £438 |
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 Antony's RC Primary School
Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2HP |
0.09 miles |
|
Shadsworth Junior School
Blackburn With Darwen, Shadsworth Junior School, Arran Avenue, Lancashire, BB1 2ET |
0.34 miles |
|
Shadsworth Infant School
Rothesay Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2EL |
0.35 miles |
|
Audley Junior School
Queen's Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1SE |
0.55 miles |
|
Audley Infant School
Queens Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1SE |
0.55 miles |
|
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Newton Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1NE |
0.57 miles |
|
Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy
Mount St James, Stanhill Road, Knuzden, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2DR |
0.78 miles |
|
Intack Primary School
Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 3HY |
0.78 miles |
|
St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Bennington Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HP |
0.84 miles |
|
St Matthew's Church of England Primary School
Withers Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1DF |
0.85 miles |
|
Brunel Nursery School
Cambridge Street, Blackburn, BB1 1ES |
0.87 miles |
|
Daisyfield Primary School
Clinton Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5LB |
1.12 miles |
|
St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Trinity Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5BN |
1.12 miles |
|
Rawdhatul Uloom Islamic Primary School
184 Whalley Old Rd, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5NZ |
1.27 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Primary School
Off Stopes Brow, Lower Darwen, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0QP |
1.29 miles |
|
St Stephen's Church of England Primary School
Robinson Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5PE |
1.3 miles |
|
Longshaw Community Junior School
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NX |
1.33 miles |
|
St Michael With St John CofE Primary School
Swallow Drive, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 6LE |
1.34 miles |
|
St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LQ |
1.44 miles |
|
Longshaw Infant School
Crosby Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NF |
1.5 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Newfield School
Old Bank Lane, Off Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2PW |
0.34 miles |
|
Al Islah Girls' High School
108 Audley Range, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1TF |
0.64 miles |
|
Blackburn Central High School
Haslingden Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3HJ |
0.72 miles |
|
Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda UK School
30 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT |
1.02 miles |
|
Rawdhatul Ilm Wal Huda
32 Moss Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5JT |
1.03 miles |
|
Markazul Uloom
Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NY |
1.15 miles |
|
Noorul Uloom
Park Lee Rd, Blackburn, BB2 3NY |
1.15 miles |
|
Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School
Sumner Street, Blackburn, BB2 2LD |
1.46 miles |
|
Blackburn College
Blackburn College, Harrison Centre, Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LH |
1.55 miles |
|
Islamiyah School
Willow Street, Little Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5NQ |
1.56 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
Duckworth Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2JR |
1.69 miles |
|
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
West Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF |
1.93 miles |
|
Darwen Vale High School
Blackburn Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0AL |
1.94 miles |
|
Eden School
Heys Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4NW |
2.26 miles |
|
Pleckgate High School
Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 8QA |
2.32 miles |
|
Witton Park Academy
Buncer Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6TD |
2.36 miles |
|
The Willows
Willow Grange, Henry Street, Rishton, Lancashire, BB1 4JJ |
2.43 miles |
|
The Hyndburn Academy
Stourton Street, Rishton, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 4ED |
2.47 miles |
|
Rhyddings
Haworth Street, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 3EA |
2.56 miles |
|
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School
Preston New Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 7AD |
2.6 miles |
All schools in Blackburn · Blackburn with Darwen local authority: places and applications
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is part of Romero Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:
- St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Blackburn
- St Edward's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Darwen
- St Anne's and St Joseph's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Accrington
- St Augustine's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Clitheroe
- All Saints' Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Rossendale
- St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Burnley
- Christ The King Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Burnley
- St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Burnley
- St Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Clitheroe
- St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Burnley
How many pupils does Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy have?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has 770 pupils on roll.
What age range does Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy cover?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.
What are Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?
In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.6, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.
Where is Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is at North Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1PY.