Blackburn Primary School, Rotherham
Blackburn Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Rotherham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 49th-highest of the 67 schools in Rotherham with published results, and 11,625th of 14,452 across England. It was 51% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Rotherham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Blackburn Primary School in detail
Blackburn Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "The vision for our school is that in 5 years time Blackburn Primary School will have: As a school we promote the fundamental core British values of respect, tolerance and integrity through all our learning and discussions with children."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Blackburn Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 72% in Rotherham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 70% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Blackburn Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Blackburn Primary School as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Blackburn Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Blackburn Primary School are Brigantia Hill Fort Academy (0.8 miles); Meadow View Primary School (0.9 miles, 57% reading, 61% maths); St Bede's Catholic Primary School (1 mile, Good, 79% reading, 90% maths); and Hatfield Academy (1.2 miles, Good, 44% reading, 51% maths).
Blackburn Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Brigantia Hill Fort AcademyMeadow View Primary SchoolSt Bede's Catholic Primary SchoolHatfield Academy
Who goes there
7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Meadowhall Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thundercliffe Road/Baring Road (at), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Blackburn Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 5.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Blackburn Primary School are Hinde House 2-16 Academy (0.8 miles), Winterhill School (0.9 miles) and Lift Firth Park (1.2 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2022 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Blackburn Primary School excels at teaching reading, with beautiful learning spaces that inspire children to read and staff who are expertly trained to help every child progress. The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge carefully, ensuring pupils understand what they are learning. Children are kind to one another and feel safe and supported by adults who have high expectations for them.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with engaging reading areas and expert teacher training helping pupils learn to read fluently and confidently
- Well-planned curriculum with knowledge carefully sequenced, supported by subject leaders working with specialists
- Welcoming environment where pupils are kind to each other, bullying is rare, and staff provide good support
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health needs lack clear support strategies, making it harder for them to engage in lessons
- Pupils' understanding of different religions and what makes people different is not well developed
- Pupils don't revisit learning about different people in modern Britain frequently enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff well-trained through weekly updates, clear procedures for reporting concerns, and appropriate checks undertaken for all staff working with children.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs including art, music and eco-club, inter-house sports competitions such as orienteering, school tournaments with local schools
Blackburn Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils enjoy learning and feel safe. The school has an ambitious curriculum and leaders prioritize reading development.
At a Glance
24.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 78% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 89% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
23.8
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Blackburn Primary School
Term dates
Blackburn Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Rotherham. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Blackburn Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Blackburn Primary School is in Rotherham; for families living there:
Apply to Rotherham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
1 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 Rotherham is 13 (the median across 128 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.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Blackburn Primary School
Will you get a place at Blackburn Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Blackburn Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Blackburn Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Blackburn Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Rotherham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Blackburn Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Rotherham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
51%
Available places
162 pupils
315 places
153 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rotherham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rotherham
Across Rotherham council
Places available
3,506
Applications
2,863
Got 1st preference
94.3%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All primary applications across Rotherham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
18.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
143
Total Pupils
88
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,027
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,814
Per pupil
£1107k
Total funding
£61k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
152
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Blackburn Primary School
Questions parents ask about Blackburn Primary School
What are SATs results like at Blackburn Primary School?
Of the pupils at Blackburn Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is Blackburn Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Blackburn Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Blackburn Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Blackburn Primary School is oversubscribed, Rotherham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Blackburn Primary School?
Blackburn Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 51% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Blackburn Primary School?
Classes at Blackburn Primary School average 23.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Blackburn Primary School?
Blackburn Primary School has around 143 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Blackburn Primary School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Blackburn Primary School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Blackburn Primary School?
Apply through Rotherham's coordinated admissions process, naming Blackburn Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Blackburn Primary School's term dates?
Blackburn Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Rotherham. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Blackburn Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 1 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 Rotherham is 13 (the median across 128 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Blackburn Primary School?
Blackburn Primary School is at Baring Road, Blackburn, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S61 2BU.
Sources: Rotherham term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)