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Blackburn College, Blackburn

Good
Post-16
Further education
Mixed
Ages 16–99

Blackburn College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Blackburn. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2024.

Ofsted
Good (2024)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Data last updated 27 Oct 2026

Blackburn College in detail

Blackburn College in its own words

In its own words: "All our Higher Education courses are awarded by well-respected institutions such as Lancaster University, University of Lancashire (formerly UCLan) and the University of South Wales, plus Pearson. Our validation/approval process is rigorous and we frequently review our courses to ensure that we’re constantly offering courses that meet your needs. Blackburn College is a Partner College of Lancaster University ."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are all about creating, enhancing and changing life chances of our young people to become self-assured, driven, and experts in their study fields. Dedicated specialist teaching teams and skilled support staff, and established employer contacts are just a few of the exceptional resources available to our students."

Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Where pupils go next

Of the 1386 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 23% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 25% into work. 3% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 670 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blackburn College (opposite), 100 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blackburn College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 611 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Blackburn with Darwen (289), as is usual near a town centre.

Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Dr Fazal Dad
LA:Blackburn with Darwen
Phone:0125455144
Address:Blackburn College, Harrison Centre, Blackburn, BB2 1LH
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
Good

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Inspected 12 November 2024View full report

Safeguarding: effective

Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong

Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)

URN:130736
UKPRN:10000747
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Blackburn
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Blackburn College creates a supportive learning environment where students of all abilities thrive and make excellent progress. The college offers ambitious, well-planned courses that prepare students for real-world careers through high-quality work placements, practical training, and strong employer partnerships. Students consistently move on to positive destinations including employment, apprenticeships, and university degrees.

Key Strengths

  • Students and apprentices have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning with high attendance across all provision types
  • Tutors are experts in their fields who keep up to date with sector changes and use effective teaching techniques
  • The college makes strong contributions to meeting local and regional skills needs through partnerships with employers and community organisations
  • Students make excellent progress on courses and move to positive destinations including employment and higher education
  • The college creates a cohesive and harmonious culture where students feel safe and supported

Areas for Improvement

  • Students with high needs do not always receive enough opportunities to develop independent thinking skills, limiting their progress
  • Some apprentices who fall behind need better support plans to ensure they complete their courses

Safeguarding

Students and apprentices feel safe and know who to contact with concerns; they learn about local issues including extremism and knife crime, and follow health and safety practices effectively.

Extracurricular Activities

Charitable fundraising, overseas visits, sustainability project in Bali, artwork creation for charity, fire station visits, first aid and fire marshal training, Football Association playmaker qualifications, Futsal training, work placements in health and social care, clinical settings, and supported internships

Blackburn College is a large general further education college in Blackburn, Lancashire, offering academic, vocational and technical education for students aged 16 and over. The college has been rated as Good overall with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and education programmes for young people.

About

Blackburn College is a further and higher education college in Blackburn, North West England.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Special Measures

Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)

A-Level Results

C+

Average grade

33.2

Points per entry

C

Best 3 A-Levels

7%

Achieving AAB+

Average

Value added

78

A-Level students

69%

Retention rate

2024/25 academic year

A-Level Subjects Offered

Psychology42
Law42
Mathematics40
Sociology34
Chemistry30
Accounting and Finance26
Biology22
Business Studies20
English Language and Literature14
Government and Politics14
History14
Fine Art12
Physics12
Computer Science12
English Language5
English Literature5
Economics3
Mathematics (Further)1

2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students

After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations

After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,386 students

Continued education32%
Higher education23%
Further education8%
Apprenticeships7%
Employment25%
Not in education/employment29%

2023/24 data

University & Higher Education Destinations

3%

Top-third university

45%

Degree course

50%

Any L4+ destination

1%

Apprenticeships

Based on 788 students completing 16-18 study

2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake

Keep up with Blackburn College

Getting There

Bus Stops

Blackburn College (opp)
101m · 2 min walk
Feilden Street (opp)
115m · 2 min walk
Blakey Moor (opp)
172m · 3 min walk
Alma Street (by)
180m · 3 min walk
Barton Street (adj)
203m · 3 min walk

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
126
Fatal
1
Serious
32
Children hurt
16

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 126 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 32 serious and 93 slight.

16 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 8 in a vehicle or otherwise.

29 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.

The typical figure for schools in Blackburn with Darwen is 24 (the median across 89 schools, same distance and years).

Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Commute and house prices

See commute times and house prices with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - Blackburn

High pressure
New homes approved:2,184
Projected new pupils:393

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Blackburn

Across Blackburn with Darwen council

Low demand council-wide0.93 applications per place

Places available

2,284

Applications

2,116

Got 1st preference

78.9%

Got preferred school

94.1%

All secondary applications across Blackburn with Darwen council (2026/27), not just this school.

Inspection History(12)

12 November 2024

Further education and skills inspection

Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementGood
10 January 2022
30 September 2020

Questions parents ask about Blackburn College

What is Blackburn College's Ofsted rating?

Blackburn College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024.

What is the catchment area for Blackburn College?

No fixed boundary. When Blackburn College is oversubscribed, Blackburn with Darwen allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

How do I apply to Blackburn College?

Apply through Blackburn with Darwen's coordinated admissions process, naming Blackburn College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.

How many road collisions happen near Blackburn College?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 126 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 32 serious and 93 slight. 16 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 8 in a vehicle or otherwise. 29 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Blackburn with Darwen is 24 (the median across 89 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Blackburn College?

Blackburn College is at Blackburn College, Harrison Centre, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LH.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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