Best Schools in Blackburn with Darwen

How many schools are there in Blackburn with Darwen?

Blackburn with Darwen has 89 open schools: 56 state primary, 13 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 5 special and 6 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Blackburn with Darwen are rated Outstanding?

9 schools in Blackburn with Darwen were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Pleckgate High School, Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School, Wensley Fold CofE Primary Academy, Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School, St Thomas's Centre and 4 more. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 83 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Pleckgate High SchoolTauheedul Islam Boys' High SchoolWensley Fold CofE Primary AcademyTauheedul Islam Girls' High SchoolSt Thomas's Centre

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen get the best GCSE results?

Of the 13 schools in Blackburn with Darwen with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 68.7 and 89% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 62.6 and 84% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.8 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High SchoolTauheedul Islam Boys' High SchoolSt Wilfrid's Church of England Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Blackburn with Darwen have the best SATs results?

Of the 51 primary schools in Blackburn with Darwen with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Turton Belmont Community Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); The Olive School, Blackburn (98% in reading, 99% in maths); and Brookhouse Primary School (93% in reading, 97% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Turton Belmont Community Primary SchoolThe Olive School, BlackburnBrookhouse Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Blackburn with Darwen?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Blackburn with Darwen selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Blackburn with Darwen have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Blackburn with Darwen have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Blackburn with Darwen allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Blackburn with Darwen?

Apply to Blackburn with Darwen through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.