Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School, Blackburn
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Blackburn. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 49 schools in Blackburn with published results, and 4,602nd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Blackburn with Darwen (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 76% in Blackburn with Darwen and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (77% in reading, 90% in maths).
Getting a place at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 71 families put Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 129 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School are St Matthew's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 61% reading, 61% maths); Audley Infant School (0.4 miles, Good); Audley Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 90% maths); and St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 66% maths).
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St Matthew's Church of England Primary SchoolAudley Infant SchoolAudley Junior SchoolSt Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Who goes there
62.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (93%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackburn Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ordnance Street (opposite), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 580 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School are Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles); and Blackburn Central High School (0.7 miles).
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary AcademyBlackburn Central High School
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2013, 13 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive in this welcoming school. Pupils, staff, and parents and carers talked about it as being 'the heart of the community'. Warm relationships are at the centre of this inclusive school.
Pupils said that they feel safe and happy. They know that adults care about them. They value the wide range of support that they receive. They trust that there is always an adult available to help them if they are worried.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a thoughtful curriculum that carefully considers the needs of pupils, many of whom join the school with limited English. It is an interesting and effective curriculum from the early years through to the end of key stage 2. In all subjects, it gives pupils the knowledge and understanding that they need to become confident and motivated learners. The school has thought carefully about what it wants staff to teach pupils and the order in which they should teach it. The school's approach to the curriculum ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stages in their education and for life in modern Britain.
Teachers explain new ideas clearly. They are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They help pupils to revisit and remember important learning. They use a range of strategies to ensure that pupils make secure connections between new and previously learned concepts. Teachers use assessment information well to establish what pupils know, where there might be gaps, and to shape future learning.
From Ofsted's February 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.7
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
16
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Nurseries
PALS- Blackburn St Thomas' C of E Primary School is at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School.
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- Audley and Queen's Park Children's Centre - Pre-school, 0.3 milesOfsted, 5 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Wonders Nursery Ltd - Pre-school, 0.3 milesOfsted, 26 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Shadsworth Childrens Centre - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 7 September 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Harwood Children's Centre - Pre-school, 0.8 milesOfsted, 12 October 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Bumble Bees Nursery (Blackburn) LTD - Pre-school, 0.8 milesOfsted report card, 23 June 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is in Blackburn with Darwen; for families living there:
Apply to Blackburn with Darwen for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 84
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 17
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 84 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 17 serious and 67 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
16 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 71 first choices for 60 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
418 pupils
420 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Blackburn with Darwen council
Places available
2,256
Applications
1,926
Got 1st preference
89.3%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All primary applications across Blackburn with Darwen council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Blackburn East Primary planning area (Blackburn with Darwen) will have 695 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
80
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
20.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
464
Total Pupils
236
Boys
228
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
25.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,674
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,491
Per pupil
£2560k
Total funding
£144k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
13.8%
Persistent absence
370
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 St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in September 2013, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School average 27.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School has around 464 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 13.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 84 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 17 serious and 67 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 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 St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is at Newton Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1NE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)